Nothing Like You

by flutteredchaos

Rating: teen
Tags: Fluttershy, Discord, Sex, Human, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance, Drama
Length: 22191

What happens when Shy's mother takes in another troubled delinquent, who seems to have taken interest in her?

This fic is a human AU, characters hair colors and names are changed to seem more human.
What happens when Shy's mother takes in another troubled delinquent?

Published 2015-11-09 18:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-02-02 18:21:57 UTC

Guest

"Shy, could you come in here for a moment." Her mother called in a serious tone.

"What's wrong, mom?" She asked curiously, entering the kitchen. Her mother paced around, whisking pancake batter.

"I wanted to let you know that we're going to be having a guest join us in a few days."

"Who?" she asked, unphased. Her mother was known as "The saint of cloudsdale," the town where they lived. She was persistently taking in newcomers and allowing them to stay for as long as months or years. Shy had had a foster brother for six years before his biological parents took him back into their home. Quite some time had passed since then.

"His name is Discord. His parents are close friends of mine who came to me practically begging for help. He's been causing quite a lot of chaos in his town. If he's in school, he's pulling pranks like stealing tests or releasing pigs into the gym, and if he's not, he's out doing who knows what." Her mother said, putting her hands on her hips.

"So...you want to invite him into our home?" She asked, biting her lip. People had fluttered in and out of her home many times through the years and never quite caused trouble. Shy knew that most of the people who came were just lonely and sad, and needed a friend.

"I've met him before, and i'm sure he's a good kid at heart. He just needs some guidance...and some friends." Her mother muttered, flipping a heart shaped pancake into the air. "He's seventeen, so close to your age. He'll be attending your school, and the plan is to send him home in December."

"I'm fifteen, not that close. And isn't it kind of inconvenient to send him home in the middle of the school year?" She asked, taking a seat on a padded stool.

"Well that's the plan. Things could change. Please, even if he gets on your nerves, be kind to him. Promise me?" she pleaded.

"Pinky promise." Shy smiled, crossing her heart. "Uh, mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Is his name really Discord?" She drawled his name, never having heard one quite like it.

"No, sweetie." She laughed. "People have called him that for so long, that his parents just went with it."

"Oh, okay." She finished her breakfast and grabbed her backpack, thoughts swirling in her mind. Her mother had never mentioned these close friends before. She hoped Discord would at least be kind and respect her mother, since she was kind enough to invite him into her home.

"Hey sugarcube, what's on your mind?" One of her best friends asked.

"Yeah, you seem a little lost in your thoughts." Twilight confessed.

"Oh, sorry. My mom told me this morning that we're taking in someone new soon."

"Who?" Rarity asked, flipping her velvet hair over her shoulder.

"Someone named Discord. He's having problems at home so-"

"Discord?" Dash chided.

"You know him?" Shy asked, a worried frown appearing at her friends' tone.

"I went to middle school with him. Guys a total jerk. He tripped me in the hall on the way to class!" She folded her arms. "You cannot let him live with you."

"Maybe it's another Discord." Mena shrugged.

"How many Discords do you know?" Dash retorted.

"Maybe he's changed. It's been a long time since middle school." Shy insisted.

"You were just saying how he's having problems at home." Twilight noted.

"...I guess you're right..but if I want to get on his good side, i'm going to give him the benifit of the doubt." She smiled, trying to convince herself more than her friends.

Days passed until the weekend had finally arrived. There was a fall festival happening over the weekend, complete with rides, food, and impossible games. Discord was supposed to arrive on Friday, just in time for the festival.

"I want you to take him with you." Her mother ordered.

"What?" She tried not to sound disrespectful. "I don't even really know him. And i'll be with my friends."

"Discord doesn't know anybody here, the festival is a great place to make friends and meet new people before he goes to a new school on Monday." She stated, trying just a little to guilt trip her sympathetic daughter.

"I suppose that's true...but what if he decides to cause some mischief?"

"He'll have you to keep him out of trouble." The blonde woman smiled smugly. Three loud knocks at the door alarmed Shy, causing her to jump.

"That must be him." Her mother smiled eagerly. Returning it with her own anxious smile, Shy excused herself to her room.

Staring at herself in the mirror, she gulped. She just wanted to have fun with her friends this weekend, but she loved her mother and wanted to make her happy. Complying to her mothers' wishes would mean making their new guest as comfortable as possible. She slipped into a knee length pink skirt with a yellow sweater, knowing it would be chilly that night. Staring into her mirror once again, she was startled by a disgruntled voice.

"So, you're Fluttershy, I presume?" The boy was leaned against her doorway, arms folded and a bored expression on his face.

"Just call me Shy." She blushed, embarrassed by her full name. Her mom had been quite the hippie when she was born.

"Right." He muttered, taking it upon himself to enter her room. "So Flutters," his eyes wandered around the room. "Nora says you're going to accompany me to this 'fall festival.' He said with air quotes. She stared at him, nervously. He had black hair with white on the top, almost reddish brown eyes, and tanned skin.

"That's right." She said, an anxious frown appearing on her face. Staring up at him, he was quite a bit taller than her. Suddenly she glanced out her window. With the sun going down, she decided they should leave. "Actually, we better get going if we're going to get there on time."

"You drive?" He inquired.

"No, my friend Dash does." As if on que, a horn honked from outside. He turned his head to the sound, then glanced back at the girl in front of him. He knew Nora had a daughter, but didn't know she was so...beautiful. Her wavy blonde hair flowed just above her elbows, as it seemed to hide her wide teal blue eyes. He would have to bed her before leaving. Whatever, he thought, shaking himself out of it. Who has time for girls when there's chaos to be made?

The two made their way into the living room, where her mother handed her cash, and quietly told her to watch out for their troubled guest. Nodding sternly, Shy put the money in her pocket and smiled nervously when Discord held the door open for her, a fake chivalrous smile on his face. Following her outside, he figured if he faked his innocence long enough he could get out of this retched place and return home. He didn't quite understand what drew him to chaos so strongly, he just knew that nothing made him laugh harder than his teachers frantically chasing wild pigs around his old high school gym. Laughing at his old antics, he found found himself being stared at by four girls, all squeezed into a run down looking truck. A girl with rainbow highlights in her hair sat at the wheel, squinting her eyes at him. Three girls sat next to her, a blonde haired girl with a cowboy hat and boots to match, a giddy looking one with light blue eyes and wild strawberry blonde hair, and a snooty looking one with velvet hair and seemingly porcelain skin. He burst out laughing. They all look like characters out of a TV show or something, he thought. Especially the cowgirl. Where does she think she is, the wild west?

"Discord, these are my friends. Dash, Rarity, Mena, and Jackie. Twilight is riding with her brother tonight so she's not here." Shy explained, praying her friends would be nice. Discord seemed strange, but she owed it to him to show him kindness.

"There's no room in here so you two will have to ride in the back." Dash called, starting the truck.

"Really wish I had my car right now." She grumbled. "This is totally not awesome."

"Well then you shouldn'tve totaled it." Jackie reprimanded. "Ah told you somethin' would happen if you kept on drivin' fast like that." With a roll of her eyes, she pressed the pedal. The degenerate vehicle jumped to a start, then screeched to a stop. Everyone screamed as they were thrown forward, saved by their seat belts. Pressing the pedal again, the vehicle took a slow start.

"Are you alright?" Shy asked him, as he rubbed his head. He had hit it after being thrown forward with the rest of them. He glanced up at her, ready to roll his eyes and grumble something sarcastic. Instead he just stared at her. Her hair was blowing around her face in the fast wind, her concerned wide teal eyes twinkling in the reflection of the moonlight. She seemed to be shivering as she hugged her arms tightly.

"Ah-I'm fine." He said, a warm feeling coming over him. What is wrong with me today? He rubbed the back of his neck. He really needed to do something about this girl. How could he cause any chaos when every time he looked into those stupid saucer eyes, he turned to puddy? He smiled suddenly. He knew just what to do.

"Poor Shy has to sit back there with him." Dash commented.

"Poor Shys' hair!" Rarity protested. "She'll never get those knots out!"

"Shy's fine, ya'll stop yer worryin'." They all exchanged uneasy glances, but nodded anyway at their friends' reassurance.

They arrived and met up with Twilight who was just saying goodbye to her brother.

"So what do you guys wanna do first?" Mena hopped up and down, Discord finding her voice incriminatingly annoying. Not like Shy's, he thought. Rolling his eyes at himself, he jumped in.

"I propose that you girls go and have fun, and we all go our separate ways."

"Well actually Discord, my mom told us not to leave each others sides." Shy said softly, not wanting to say that her mom really said for her not to leave his side.

"Did she now?" He demurred, his eyes burning into hers.

"B-but if you'd rather go on your own for a bit, that's okay." She gulped.

"No, no, Shutterfly, I'd much rather hang around you and your posse." He declared in a dramatic manner, pulling her close to him by her shoulders.

"O-okay." She glanced at her friends, they all shrugged in confusion. The night went on slowly, the five of them riding rides and playing games. Shy was too afraid to ride the rides, and Discord didn't want to ride with five snobby girls anyway. They were all laughing when suddenly, Shy caught something in the corner of her eye. A large stuffed white rabbit, just waiting to be won. She gasped, darting to the game booth. It was a baseball game, something she'd never been particularly good at. You had to take the bat, and hit a ball into the hole. She swallowed. Discord approached her, and she noticed he was alone.

"Where are my friends?" She asked.

"They ran off to ride some haunted maze ride." He told her, glancing at the game booth.

"Why do you want to play this?" He asked, not pegging her for the sports type.

"Oh, I really want that giant bunny. It looks just like my bunny at home, Angel." She explained.

"Five dollars for one try, ten for two." The booth owner grumbled in his chair. "You want a try, sweetheart?" He asked in a thick new york accent.

"One try, please." She said, pulling five dollars from her pocket. He took it and stuffed it into his pouch, handing her the baseball bat. She stood as best she knew how, and waited for the ball to fly. When it did, she swung as hard as she could, her eyes squeezed shut. She opened them when the bat came in contact with nothing but air. She could hear Discord laughing behind her.

"You completely missed!" He cackled. She looked back, tears filling her eyes. She set the bat down angrily and began walking away.

"Hey!" Discord called. "Come on Shutterfly, try again." He insisted.

"So you can laugh at me again? I have been nothing but nice to you Discord." She hissed.

"Look, if you want it so badly I will help you win the bunny." He uttered boredly. She gave him a shocked expression and followed him as they re-approached the game. Handing the man another five dollars, she took the bat.

"Now it's like this." He slithered around her, wrapping his arms around her waist and gripping her hands. She blushed crimson as she felt him pressed into her. Her heart began to pound as he took his arms and swung them back and forth, to demonstrate how to properly hit the ball. He released her, a look of confusion on his face.

"A-and keep your eyes open, this time, Shutterfly." He attempted to keep his voice nonchalant.
She smiled at him and whispered a small 'thank you'. Taking a step forward, she watched as the ball flew to her. She swung as the bat connected with the ball. It landed right next to the hole.

"Tough luck, kid." The game booth man uttered. She turned sadly.

"Maybe some other time." She smiled glumly up at him. Discord looked at her, then glared at the man.

"You give the girl the rabbit or we're going to have a problem." Discord growled, his face close to the mans.

"I-I can't do that if she doesn't win the game yo. Rules are rules!" He insisted.

"Discord, just leave him be!" Shy yelled.

"I give you five dollars, you give me the rabbit." Discord said. "It's a simple trade." He said with a shrug.

"Fine. Take it." The man threw his arms in the air. "I don't get paid enough for this." Unhooking it from the booth, he handed Discord the stuffed animal. Discord approached her smugly and held it out.

"You didn't have to do that. You can't threaten everyone to get what you want." She lectured, only half mad as she held the stuffed animal close.

"Who me? Threaten?" He asked, shocked. She giggled.

"Shutterfly-" He started. She glared at him. "Ahem, Shy- would you mind fetching me a bottle of water?"

"Sure, be right back." She smiled. He grinned.

"Hey Shy, where'd you get that aaaaadorable big bunny?" Mena asked as the five of her friends stood in line to buy food.

"Oh um...Discord helped me get it. From the baseball booth. I'm just here to get us some water. He's been really nice." She smiled. Maybe she was getting through to him in just the three hours they'd known each other. "Two waters please." She said to the lady.

"That'll be two dollars sweetheart." The woman said, pulling the waters from the outdoor freezer. Reaching into her pocket, she frowned. She dug her hand into the other one and found it like the first- empty.

"My money's gone!" She stuttered. The woman cocked an eyebrow.

"I knew this would happen! Twilight remarked angrily.

"He must have grabbed it when he had his arms around me."

"When he had what?!" Dash coughed, choking on her burger.
The six of them wandered around the festival grounds, searching for the decadent thief. Finally, Shy spotted him, leaving the grounds.

"Discord!" She snapped. He turned around.

"There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere." He lied, a dramatically 'worried' expression on his face.

"You were looking for me with my money?" She huffed.

"Uh-About that-"

"Seriously Discord? I really thought we were becoming friends."

"You-you thought we were friends?" He shut his eyes, thinking back to his home town. He had neighborhood kids who he occasionally got up to no good with, but he didn't consider them friends. "I've never had a friend before..." He pondered. Her anger softened. She sighed and looked up at him with a frown.

"Well now you do." She said stepping up to face him and taking his hand. "But give the money back."

"Very well, Flutters." He sighed, handing all of the cash back to her. What am I doing? He thought. I'm turning soft for some stupid girl who's afraid of her own shadow? And now she was forgiving him? His plan was to steal her money, get caught, get sent home- simple. Instead here she was, doe-eyed and smiling, offering him friendship. She really was more naive than he thought. I've seriously got to do something about this utterly loathsome feeling in my stomach, He thought as their hands touched briefly. Her five friends kept a close eye on him for most of the night, not feeling too happy about her forgiving him. They knew Shy's big heart could get her taken advantage of and stepped on sometimes. Eventually the night ended as Dash dropped them off.

"Did you guys have fun?" Her mother asked as they entered.

"Loads of fun, Nora."

"Yes mom."

"Did Discord win you that bunny?" She asked, a knowing smile ripping across her face. The two exchanged glances.

"More or less." He shrugged. "Well i'm going to hit the hay. Figuratively of course." He added. His room was right across from Shy's, but she tilted her head when he entered hers instead of his own. He shut the door and looked at her.

"What are you doi-" He grabbed her face and kissed her, pushing her into the wall. His lips mushed against hers roughly. Her eyes were wide open in shock, but they closed slowly. She kissed back, unsure of why. She'd never kissed anyone before. She wasn't even sure she was doing it right. His hands began roaming around, to the curve of her back, pushing her closer to him. Slowly, he realized his plan may be more genius than he thought. If Nora catches us together, kissing or..otherwise, It'll guarantee my return home! He pulled away slowly, his eyes transfixed on hers.

"Wha-what was that for?" She stuttered.

"What was what for?" He asked as he stepped out.

"Discord.." She followed.

"Oh that! What about it?"

"You hardly know me!" She piped, following him into his room.

"Goodnight, Shutterfly." He grinned, shutting off his light and pretending to pass out in his bed. She furrowed her brow, and exited the room with a huff. Laying down on her own bed that night, she glanced at the stuffed rabbit. She had a lot to tell the girls tomorrow.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope the changes to names and hair colors don't take too much away from the characters we all know and love. Please review and thanks for reading :)

Curious

"But you just met him!" Twilight argued.

"That's rather odd..." Rarity commented.

"He's completely nuts!" Dash screamed.

"All he did was kiss me..." Shy murmered, her face burning as she remembered it. She blushed redder as she remembered the dream she had that night. Discords' arms were around her, her chest to his. They were kissing, her hands entwined in his soft discolored hair. His hands were slowly roaming around her body, lowering themselves, until her eyes snapped open. That morning he greeted her as if nothing happened the night before.

"Yeah all he did was kiss her." Mena defended.

"On the day they met! After stealing money from her! It's just odd." Dash grumbled. They all jumped as he approached them, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hello girls, may I speak with Fluttershy for a moment." His tone dripped with faux chivalry.

"Shy." She corrected. She glanced at her friends with an anxious look, but they all backed away, evading the area.

"I want to explain my actions from last night." He began. Her heart started racing at that. What would he say? She couldn't deny she found him attractive, but would he want a relationship with her? She'd never been in a relationship. She wasn't sure she was ready for one.

"I kissed you because..." He paused. He grinned in amusement at her waiting expression. "Because I find you attractive and I wanted to kiss you. People do it all the time, no big deal." He shrugged.

"Oh..." She always thought her first kiss would be with someone she loved, or a passionate moment after a first date. She wasn't stupid, she knew there was only one thing the boy in front of her wanted. Suddenly the bell rang.

"How about we go somewhere else." He suggested, tugging on her hand. What am I doing? He had planned on skipping school alone, but apparantly his subconcious had other ideas.

"You...want to skip school? On your first day?" she gawked. She wasn't a goody two shoes, but she had never skipped a class, let alone an entire school day. "We'll get in trouble." She argued.

"Come on now, Flutters..." He murmered, stepping close to her and taking some of her hair in his hand and letting it's silkiness slip through his fingers. She swallowed, a blush coming over her at the gesture. She found herself in a trance, following him out. She glanced back once more, hoping the principal wasn't watching the security tapes. They ventured around, walking on the sidewalk away from the school.

"Where are we going?" She asked, her mind jolting when she felt his hand grab hers.

"You walk too slow." He muttered. "And we're going wherever we want. We're free."

"What happens when my mom finds out?" She inquired, pulling her hand away and attempting to keep up with him.

"She won't." He stopped walking and turned to her. "But if she does, then she will send me home where I belong." He shut his eyes nonchalantly.

"Are you...trying to get sent home?" She asked.

"Pretty much." He shrugged, continuing his walk.

"Discord, my mother wants to help you. I want to help you." She said, running into him as he stopped arubtly. She glanced around as she found herself behind an abandoned wharehouse, fences lined the area, joined by a fallen power line. The place had an eery sense about it.

"Discord where are we? This is really freaky...we should go back." She said, not noticing that he had her hand in his again.

"You talk entirely too much." He said, slamming her against the building, roughly this time. If he could just do the one thing he knew Nora couldn't forgive, he could go home. Why is home so important to me? He asked himself as the innocent girl melted into their kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck. It's not like I was happy there either... He carressed her hair, trying to lose himself in the kiss. He didn't need his intrusive thoughts ruining his oppurtunity to get laid and ruin his stay in this awful town. It was like killing two birds with one stone! He heard her moan against his mouth softly. Her mind was in a daze. She knew it was wrong, but maybe that's what intrigued her about it so. She was making out with a boy she just met outside of an abandoned wearhouse. It was exciting, she felt her heart pumping. She could hear Discord's mocking voice in her head "Come to the dark side Shutterfly. We have cookies." Suddenly she felt something hard press against her. Her eyes snapped open as she realized what Discord was expecting to happen. She pushed him off of her swiftly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, attempting to catch his breath.

"I just met you." She said, her breathy voice turning him on all the more.

"And?" He said, though he understood what she meant. "Have you never heard of casual hookups?"

"I have and that's not the way I want my first time to g-" She stopped.

"You're a virgin?" He laughed, toying with her hair.

"Are you surprised?" Her brow furrowed as she pushed his hand away.

"Well you know what they say..." He murmered, his eyes meeting hers. "It's always the quiet ones." He wasn't that shocked, it just seemed that from the first moment they kissed, she had some experience. Beginners luck, he supposed.

"Are you?" She asked, her eyes not leaving his.

"Am I what? A virgin?" He scoffed. She nodded, her eyes darting away, regretting the silly question.

"No." He answered bluntly.

"What's it like?" She asked, pausing. "Sex." She clarified.

"It's always fun for me. And for my...partners well...they don't seem to complain." He grinned. She felt a strange feeling arise in her stomach. "All this talking is making me nauseous. Can't we go back to kissing?" He whined. She thought for a moment and nodded.

"I guess we can do tha-" He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. He would bed her eventually, break her heart, and get sent home. He couldn't wait. His plan was already in action. He questioned himself for planning on doing something so cruel. But that damn Nora was so forgiving. If he stole something, she'd simply say he could have it. If he broke something, she'd say she forgives him. Even if he skipped school every day, it wouldn't be enough. There was only one thing that Nora wouldn't be able to forgive, and that was stealing her daughters virginity and then breaking her heart. He felt something tug at him. Shy was a sweet girl...he didn't really want to hurt her. Oh hush up, concious. He reprimanded himself. But...she was the first person to offer him friendship, maybe ever. He rolled his eyes at himself and looked at the girl before him, distracting himself with thoughts of what she'd be like in bed. Yes. In a matter of time, he'd have what he wanted. She didn't argue as his hands roamed her body, and he began to kiss down her neck. Her mind was in a panic, screaming stop! His mouth on her neck caused her to melt, gasping at the new sensation. If she doesn't stop making noises like that, he thought, I'll have to bed her right here.

"Come on." He said, pulling her around the building and into a door with the words KEEP OUT plastered across the front.

"We probably shouldn't be in here." She whispered. He rolled his eyes, wondering when her platitudes of 'goodness and following the rules' would end. They were surrounded by dust and wooden planks, nails pertruding from them. He spotted a large table, with a white sheet thrown over it. Perfect. Leaning her against the table, she willingly laid on her back and gripped his shirt in her fist, pulling him closer. Inside, she was screaming. What am I doing? He seemed to have cast a spell on her, those invading red-brown eyes seeping into her soul. He was indeed staring at her, admiring her beauty. He bet she was the sort of girl who was so inherently beautiful and insisted she was not. Right here, her hair sprawled out onto the table, her clothes slightly rumpled and her innocent eyes staring up at him, it was the sexiest he'd ever seen her. Hesitantly, he stripped himself of his jacket. Should I really do this? He pondered. Of course! She's right there, giving herself to you. He shook his head. She's so innocent...I can't take that away. We don't need to do this today, do we? He pushed himself off of her, grabbing his jacket from where it fell and tugging it back on.

"Wha-"

"Come, Shutterfly. We're late for school." He stated, turning away from her. She sat up, slightly confused but thankful he stopped when he did.

"Alright..." She uttered.

She sat in her bed, pondering the day's events in her mind. She blushed at the memory of his lips on her neck, his hands roaming wherever they wanted. When she imagined herself dating in the past, she never imagined it being with a guy like Discord. He disregarded all rules, took what he wanted when he wanted, and yet, had a relaxed air about him. The total opposite of herself. After school, he seemed to avoid her. She wondered what he was doing, locked up in the guest room all afternoon.

I'm going to bed her eventually, He argued with his subconscious. Just not today! Plans take time. He groaned as the image of her sprawled out for him flashed in his mind. They don't take that much time...He glanced down at his pants, internally groaning. It had been a very long time since he last got laid, he wasn't exactly the sex god that he made himself out to be. Sure, he wasn't a virgin, but truth be told, he'd only ever had sex once.

"Discord?" Her voice interrupted his inner turmoil. He shot up, grabbing the blanket and covering himself. She was already in her pajamas, a tank top and a pair of lace shorts. One of the straps of her top had fallen from her shoulder, unbeknownst to her. He blinked at her and swallowed a lump in his throat. She sighed and sat on his bed.

"What are you up to?" She asked innocently.

"What are you doing?" He grumbled.

"I...I'm sorry. I'm just...curious. I wanted to ask you about..."

"Sex?" He predicted. He watched her blush, an embarrassed smile growing on her face. He laughed wryly. "What sort of questions do you have in mind?" His eyes were alight with something, she couldn't quite pin it. She bit her lip, her eyes fleeting away from his. She could feel his gaze falling upon her, roaming over her body.

"You weren't specific earlier, when-when I asked what it's like." She said shyly, playing with her hair nervously.

"It feels good." He uttered lowly, his voice causing goosebumps to pass over her body. "It's hot. It's passionate, your body entwining with theirs, bumping, grinding, moans echoing through the room." Her breath was coming out heavier now, listening to his airy voice. A shiver ran over her as he reached out to her, placing the disheveled strap back in place. Their eyes locked, before they launched at one another, their lips meeting aggressively. She could feel heat pooling in her stomach, all of her senses warped. She had never felt this way before, something about him excited her like nothing else. He grabbed at her roughly, tugging her shirt off, and lying her on her back. She whimpered as she felt him kissing down her stomach. Grinning, he knew what little experience he had would be enough. This isn't right! his subconscious hissed. Why do I care about hurting her?

"Discord," She whispered, her breathy voice stunning him. He raised his eyes to her, expecting her to say she changed her mind. Instead she had a bewildered expression on her face. "I think I just heard my mother's car in the driveway." Her statement was followed by the sound of keys at the front door. She shoved him off of her and scrambled to find her shirt, tugging it back on quickly, before heading for the door.

"Wait." Discord murmured. She turned quickly, seeing his face break into a sly grin. He approached her slowly, and took her top off again, flipping it. "It was inside out," He whispered, acknowledging her questioning look. She smiled sheepishly, her face burning red. He slipped it back onto her gently, feeling the goosebumps on her skin where he touched her. Where is this sappy crap coming from? He wondered as he watched her go, hearing her greet her mother in a nervous voice. Something about it made him smile. Damn it. What is it about her that's making me feel this way? He shook his head at himself, shutting his door with frustration. He'd never developed real feelings for anyone, he wasn't sure how it was supposed to feel. He also wasn't entirely convinced that his feelings for her were purely sexual attraction anymore. Oh hush, it's not like she'd ever truly care for me anyway. Nobody could.

Author's Note

I had to edit quite a lot of this, :twilightsheepish: But I hope you enjoyed and I'm going to try and update every four days if I can :)

The calm

"Where have you been?" She cried, jumping up from the couch. Her face was scrunched up in that cute expression she always had when she was angry. He huffed and tugged off his jacket.

"I went for a walk and got a little lost."

"You could've called my mother to pick you up." She murmured.

"Perhaps I didn't feel like returning." He muttered. She glanced down and sighed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He turned to her, eyebrows raised. She really is too good for me.

"What are you apologizing for?" He sighed. "You were- er- you were right." He struggled to get the word out. Her wide teal eyes observed him curiously. Discord was...admitting he was wrong? "You have every right to attend the dance with whoever you want." She looked away from him, feeling guilty. He shook his head at himself. He couldn't believe he got so worked up over something as mundane and frivolous as a high school dance. She turned to go, but paused. Biting her lip uncertainly, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm glad you're okay." She whispered into his chest. "I was really worried." He was frozen, not having been hugged since childhood. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around the timid girl. He shut his eyes, relishing the warmth having her in his arms brought him. Tirek's threats were all but forgotten as he stood there.

He roused in his bed the next morning to the smell of something cooking and the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. He opened his eyes blearily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hardly remembered falling asleep. He stood up and peaked his head out the door, watching her in the kitchen. She had her long blonde hair tucked half-up messily, and she wore a smile on her face as she hummed a melodious tune. Her hands worked gracefully as she flipped a pancake into the air.

"I didn't know you could cook." He stated, arms folded. She gasped and whipped around, her hand on her heart.

"You startled me." She breathed.

"What was that tune you were humming?" He asked, approaching her. "It was very...familiar."

"Oh, it's just this song I like...'I know I'm a wolf." She stated, returning her attention to the stove.

"Are you making one of those for me?" He smirked.

"Would you like one?" She shot him a genial smile.

"Sure..." He murmered, snaking toward her and grabbing her hand.

"Discord," She grunted, attempting to keep her eyes on the stove. "Stop." She couldn't help but giggle, though she tried to suppress it. He grinned, having her pressed against the counter. She moved away, shaking her head.

"Discord!" She gasped when he pulled her back. She tried to wriggle away, laughing the whole time. In all their playing, she turned to push him and accidentally knocked over a bowl of flour. It fell to the ground, flour flying into the air. She put her hands to her mouth as she stared at him, a giggle erupting from her throat. Flour covered his mismatched hair, and was scattered around his face. Fortunately for her, none seemed to land on her.

"You think this is funny." He smirked, grabbing a handful of pancake mix.

"Discord," She warned, a smile on her face. He laughed, and flung the batter at her. She screamed and ducked. It hit the wall behind her, oozing down slowly. She smirked triumphantly, and grabbed her own handful of pancake mix.

"Oh no you don't." He laughed. She screamed as he grabbed her into his arms and flung her over his shoulder.

"Discord!" She giggled. "Put me down!"

"What is going on in here?" Nora asked, her eyebrows raised and a hand on her hip, the door wide open behind her. A gust of wind blew into the room, causing them to shiver.

"Mom?" Shy gasped as he quickly put her down. "Uh-what are you doing here?" She tried to adjust her disheveled clothes.

"I forgot my purse," her mother explained. "This room is a mess! How did pancake mix get on the wall?" The two exchanged a look and giggled.

"My apologies, this is my fault." Discord admitted.

"I don't really care whose fault it is," Nora sighed before her daughter could argue with him, a smile on her lips. "Please get it cleaned up." She grabbed her purse and glanced back at them once more, shaking her head with a laugh. She knew what love looked like. She had done the same thing with her husband when they were young.

Once she was out the door, they started laughing. Shy hadn't felt such bliss in a long time.

"Shy," he began when their laughter faded. She looked at him. "Can I ask you a question? It's a bit personal."

"Anything," She said, grabbing a broom to sweep up the mess. He put his hand over hers, stopping her. She glanced up, her eyes meeting his for a breif moment.

"How did your father die?" She gasped at the question. She didn't expect him to ask her that.

"Well...it's.." She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. "It's hard to talk about..." She whispered.

"I understand...it's just, I was at his funeral. My parents made me attend, despite the fact that they hardly knew him." He rolled his eyes. "I remember seeing you, you were crying. I was only twelve at the time, I wasn't the type of kid to feel sympathy for others. But I did, that day." She sniffed, wiping a tear away from her face. Her eyes were glued to the ground.

"He committed suicide..." She murmered. He raised his eyebrows. She glanced up at him, her blue green eyes glassy and sad, and her cheeks wet with tears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He said softly. She wiped her cheeks.

"It's fine." She sniffed. They stood in silence for a few moments before she spoke. "The song I was humming, it was played at his funeral." She said. "That's probably why it was familiar." He blinked at her. "It's my favorite song."

"Sing it for me," He said, before even realizing what he said. She looked puzzled. "Sorry, you just- you have a beautiful voice, my dear."

"I don't really sing in front of many people..."

"It's only me, dear." She hesitated, then nodded with a sigh. She sat atop the counter as he leaned against the island behind him. She took a deep breath, and avoided his eyes with the first note.

Dear rabbit... She began, her voice soft and soothing. My legs are getting weak..chasing you.. The snow fields wouldn't seem so big if you knew...She glanced up shyly at him, her cheeks red.

"Well, don't stop now." He chimed, an enthusiastic look on his face.

She blushed and began again. That this blood on my teeth, it is far beyond dry. And i've captured you once, but I wasn't quite right..So i'm telling you...that you'll be safe with meeee...Her voice faded out, lulling him out of his melody induced trance. Her voice was one of the most comforting things he'd ever heard.

"That was...lovely." He almost physically rolled his eyes at himself. Lovely? Really? Who am I, Mary Poppins? But it was true, she sounded lovely. She was lovely. He couldn't think of another word for it. She grinned at him, her face still burning. She toyed with her hair nervously.

"T-thanks."

They spent the rest of the day cleaning, and then talking. She had never felt so at ease with someone in such a short period of time. She felt like she could talk to him about anything. They found themselves lying together on her bed, sitting close enough so that their sides touched. He was showing her a youtube video and pretended not to notice when she rested her head against his shoulder.

"So what's your favorite color?" She asked.

"Don't have one," He answered.

"Favorite food?"

"Don't have one." He uttered. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Favorite song? Or let me guess, 'don't have one'." She mocked his tone teasingly.

"I actually do." He said, pushing himself up. "It's called Say nothing." She blinked at him, never having heard it. "It really helped me get through a very rough patch in my life." He continued. She said nothing, but pulled out her phone and looked it up, playing it. He raised his eyebrows, but didn't object. It started slow, a gentle ballad playing rhythmically. The man began singing. They sat in silence, listening to the soft melody. The longer the song went on, she sadder she felt. She could somehow feel Discord's sadness and longing through the song.

Maybe I don't wanna talk about how...this life layed me down...The song continued.

"For a long time," He started, interrupting her thoughts. "I wasn't speaking. I didn't speak to anyone, not even to my parents. I thought the entire world was against me. Then again, what fifteen year old doesn't?" He glanced at her, noticing her eyebrows were furrowed. "Er, no offense. But still, I truly believed there was nobody out there who cared what I had to say. Nobody who could care for me..." He drifted off, not understanding why he was telling her all of this. Months ago he would have found the idea of spilling his sorrows to some girl to be quite fatuous. But she's not just 'some girl.' He thought. Still, he had never opened up to someone this way and to him, it was alarming.

"I do."

"Huh?" He asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I care about you." She whispered with a gulp, prepared for him to laugh or push her away. Instead, his gaze caught her fleeting eyes. She stared at him for a moment, watching him sit up, eyeing her. Without warning, she grabbed his face and pulled him toward her. She kissed him softly, his eyes shut quickly. He relished the feeling of her warm hands cupping his cheeks, as he grabbed her waist. It was different from all the other times they had kissed, with only one goal in mind. The room had grown had dark, as the light from her phone had flickered off when the song ended. She carressed his hair gently, wanting to heal every broken peice of him. He sighed at the fleeting warmth as she pulled away. He could barely make out her figure in the dark, but his eyes widened as he felt her tugging at his shirt.

"W-we don't have to-" He stuttered.

"I know." She whispered. She tugged off his shirt and kissed him again, and he did not argue. That night was not about an alternative motive or some hidden scheme to be sent away. It was much, much more than that.

"He has until tomorrow to give me an answer." The voice growled. Several figures draped in cloaks nodded understandingly. "He gives me the correct answer or," He snarled. "This girl he so stupidly mentioned, well..." His snarl grew into a sinister smile. "It's been a while since any of us had a treat, yes?" The figures in the room nodded and cheered. "Now go," He ordered several figures. "And make sure he gets the message...loud and clear." They nodded anxiously and darted off.

He watched her tenderly, as she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings before her face flushed in embarrassment. She was wrapped in her blanket.

"Morning." She murmured, a shy smile growing on her lips.

"Good morning." He uttered stoically. She furrowed her brow and sat up instantly, clutching the blanket to her chest.

"What's wrong?" He looked at her, a hostile expression on his face. Was he angry with her? Had she done something wrong? She tried to remember, to think back to last night. "Discord." She huffed.

"What?" She was stunned by his tone.

"Are you upset with me?" She intoned. He scoffed lightly and shook his head. She glared at him. "Then what's wrong?" He got up from the bed and looked away, he felt guilty enough without those wide teal eyes analyzing his every move. Her anger grew as he continued to ignore her. Hastily, she grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him. He whirled around as it struck him, his face dumbfounded. His eyes met her angry one's, her face filled with disdain. "Tell me what's wrong." She demanded, her face softening.

"I'm sorry." He growled. She cocked her head.

"For what?"

"I'm not angry with you..." He muttered. "I'm angry with myself."

"Why?" She shook her head, not understanding.

"I've ruined you." She raised an eyebrow at his words, and was tempted to grab another pillow.

"Don't infantalize me, Discord." She said, grabbing his hand and forcing him to face her. "I wasn't anymore innocent or pure before than I am now. Purity isn't real."

"But-"

"You didn't do anything wrong." His eyes roamed away from hers, and he sighed. She smiled sweetly and rose from the bed, grabbing her clothes. He watched her captivatingly as she slipped into them. She blushed as he regarded her. A knock at the door made her jump.

"Shy?" Her mother called. "You up yet?" Her head whipped toward him, panic written across her face. He shrugged, just as surprised as her.

"Uh- yes- but i'm getting dressed!" There was silence.

"Okay...Just come out soon, I want to take you and Discord out for lunch. It's a nice day out." Her voice faded out as they heard her walk away. She breathed a sigh of relief and nudged him slightly as he began to laugh.

"You're a terrible liar." He simpered. A smile grew on her face.

"You should hear Jackie lie. Now that's funny."

They were eating outside of a small restaurant called Granny Smith's. It was a hot day for fall, she noticed as she picked up her fork. It had been an awkward car ride once Discord managed to sneak out of her bedroom without being seen, though her mother didn't seem to suspect anything. Or so she hoped.

"So," her mother cleared her throat. Shy looked up from her plate. Oh no. She swallowed. That's her 'I know something' voice! "I've noticed that you two have been spending a lot of time together." She glanced at the two of them, her daughter looked utterly mortified, all the while Discord seemed rather amused. "There's nothing wrong with that, and I don't mind if you two share romantic interests in one another...but...I don't want you partaking in any sort of...activities while you're in my home. There are boundries." The two exchanged a nervous look.

"Uh-I-m-mom who do you think I am?" She asked nervously. "I-I mean, come on."

"Nora, I would nev-"

"Save it, just please respect my rules. In my house, no kissing, no 'fooling around' or whatever the kids call it nowadays," She listed them rigorously. "And absolutely no sex." Shy choked on the tea she was drinking.

"Mom!"

"Look, your dad and I weren't saints. We gave into our desire before we were married and I never regretted it, bu-"

"Mom, we get it." She huffed quickly, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Discord sat there, observing the altercation. He zoned out as Nora started to argue with her daughter. So much for that last rule, he thought. As each day passed, Tirek's threat kept popping into the back of his mind. He knew he'd be stupid if he ignored it. Sombra was not one to make threats and not come through with them. Three days. It had only been two, would Sombra come for him at the dance tomorrow? Was he really stupid enough to commit some deplorable act in a highschool gym? He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name.

"You okay, Discord?" She asked sweetly.

"Ah, yes, sorry. I got a little distracted."

"I was just saying that I can leave if you two would like to be alone while I go and get some groceries." Nora offered.

"If you wish," Discord answered absentmindedly. Shy eyed him curiously. Nora smiled and grabbed her purse, waving to them as she got into her car.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Hm?" He glanced at her.

"You seem out of it."

"It's nothing, my dear." He reassured, smiling at her. She smiled back, just as credulous as she was when they met. They talked for another hour, waiting for her mother to return.

"So," He burst. She looked up at him curiously. "Have you talked to our friend huckleberry?"

"His name is Mac, and yeah...I texted him."

"You have his number?"

"Yes, Discord I have his number."

"Hm. How nice for you." He took a sip of his tea. She squinted at him and set her cup down.

"Am I the only one of us who remembers last night?" She muttered angrily, though she couldn't help the glow that appeared on her cheeks.

"The jealousy thing is something I could work on..." He stated guiltily.

"I told him I was sorry, I mean...I didn't want to make him feel bad, but, that I'd rather go with someone else." She murmured. He smirked.

"Are you sure there isn't something else we can do that night?" He asked suggestively. She rolled her eyes. "Alright...I just...school dances have never really been my thing." He explained.

"You'll be fine." She smiled warmly. "Oh, that reminds me, I'm going to be volunteering at the animal shelter after school tomorrow. I hope I have time to get ready..." She trailed off, lost in her thoughts. He grinned, and snatched her up into his arms.

"Hey!" She gasped, before their lips met. She smiled briefly against his mouth, sighing with delight. He set her down, laughing at the giggles bubbling from her throat. She rose up on her toes and kissed him again. They jumped apart at the sound of a horn honking behind them. She shot a sheepish smile to her mother, who was cocking an eyebrow at the two of them.

"To be fair," Discord began as he got into the car. "We weren't in the house." Shy resisted the urge to slap her palm to her forehead. Nora just laughed, rolling her eyes at the teen's unprecedented way of breaking awkward silence.

Author's Note

This chapter was fluffier than I planned, I hope you all enjoy it :yay:

The storm

"Come on, Mr. Peppers, please?" The blonde soothed as the black and white cockatoo jumped onto her hand. She giggled slightly as it nuzzled against her. She gently set the bird down into it's cage and it began at peck at it's food. She sighed happily and shut the cage door, and made her way to the counter. Hardly any customers had come in since she opened. Usually the owner would let her leave early if the shop had been empty, but he was at dinner with his wife and needed her to stay full time. She gasped as she felt something crawl against her legs. Looking down, it was just a puppy who had gotten loose.

"Sammy, what are you doing?" She laughed. As she went to pick up the stowaway, it started barking. The bell at the entrance went dinged as a group of people piled in.

"Hello, Can I help you?" She smiled.

"Why yes," A sinister voice began. "You can..."

"Are you here to adopt an animal? We have a great selection of all sorts of animals in need of a good home." She said as she lifted the puppy. Two of the men exchanged glances.

"This is who Discord is giving us up for?" One of them asked raspily. She cocked her head.

"Huh?" She asked, confused. Another one rolled his eyes, and with a snap of his fingers, one of them grabbed her. She screamed, panic running through her mind. Were these the 'friends' Discord told her about? "What's going on?!"

"Someone duct tape her mouth, please." The leader muttered.

"Sombra said he didn't want her injured. Not until we get his answer."

"Doesn't mean you can't shut her up. Do you want to drag her out of here kicking and screaming?" The man snarled. She watched the scene play out before her, the man behind her tightening his grip on her arms. She winced in pain, and felt tears stream down her face as they put duct tape over her mouth. What did they want from her?

"Blondie, is there a back exit in this shithole?" She ignored him, until someone twisted her arm. "Just because I was told not to hurt you doesn't mean I won't, kid." He spit, his face close to hers. She cried out, the sound muffled by the tape. Nodding anxiously, she led them to the back. Her heart began to pound as one of them pressed a gun to her back. She wanted to ask where they were taking her as they shoved her into a car. The windows were tinted black, and there were men on each side of her. There was no chance of her escape. The ride seemed to last forever, her fear elevated when they arrived at their destination. It appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, similar to the one Discord brought her to. They pushed her, leading her down into the basement. She gulped when they took the tape off of her mouth, smiles plastered on their faces.

"I'm just saying, I don't think a red tie would go with her dress." Discord argued.

"You haven't even seen her dress." Rarity mumbled. "Yes it will."

"Remind me again, why am I doing this?" He scoffed.

"Because," She muttered as she adjusted his suit. "You care about my friend and you want to look spectacular for her, do you not?"

"I don't care what I look like either way." He shrugged. She hit him, causing him to roll his eyes. "Yes." He grumbled.

"Now, you stay here and i'll be right back. I've got to get more thread." She perked, sashaying off. He grumbled under his breath until his phone began to ring. That's strange, he thought. Nobody calls me. Glancing at the number, it wasn't one he recognized.

"Hello?" He answered curiously.

"Discord..." A familiar voice drawled.

"Grogar? Why are you calling me?"

"Your time is up, and considering we never heard back from you, I've called to make a compromise." Grogar said wickedly. Discord rolled his eyes.

"There's nothing you could say to make me return."

"I thought you'd say that..." Another voice replaced Grogar's. Discord furrowed his brow. What was going on? "Which is why I thought you'd like to have a chat with our...house guest." The voice growled. Discord paused.

"Discord!?" Her voice rang through the phone. His body tensed at the sound of it. She sounded panicked and like she had been crying.

"Where are you?" He growled.

"I don't know, a warehouse. Please help me!" She cried. He felt sick. This is my fault. I should've known they'd go after her. I am so stupid. He paced back and forth.

"Discor-" Her voice faded as someone grabbed the phone from her. "We're at the cherryhill warehouse, Discord." Tirek muttered. "You have one hour to get here and accept Sombra's terms, or...we're going to have a little fun." Before he could say anything, the phone clicked and toned out. He growled, and darted out of the house.

"What in the world?" Rarity chimed as he raced past her.

"Why do you want him to come back so bad?" Shy spit, struggling against the ropes that tied her to a chair.

"Don't make us re-tape your mouth." Tirek muttered.

"I don't understand..." She sighed. "Why did you go to all of this trouble just to get him back?"

"Discord is one of our smartest affiliates, despite all his faults. To lose him would be to lose the entire heart of our organization."

She thought for a moment. "It would be a shame if your leader heard you say that." She said bravely. He whirled around to face her, gripping her chin tightly.

"Listen girl, I'd shut my pretty face if I were you." She stared him down defiantly, but one squeeze from his hand made her cry in pain. "You are a pretty one, aren't you..." The man mumbled. "Hey boys!" He called. "What's stopping us from having a little fun right now?" The men laughed and gathered around, leering at her. She may have been tired, and worn down from all her struggling, but she was willing to fight with all she had if they even tried to touch her. They all jumped at the sound of someone's footsteps shuffling throughout the room.

"Discord?" Tirek called provokingly. There was no answer. They looked around, waiting for him to jump out and attempt something. "Tell me Discord," he continued. "What does this doe eyed child see in you?" They waited, still nothing. "Does she coo when you touch her?" He taunted, looking around. "Or have you not?"

"Stop it!" She hissed, ignoring the pain she felt as he squeezed her face harder. Discord growled and emerged from his hiding place.

"Ah, there you are." Tirek laughed tauntingly.

"I accept Sombra's ridiculous terms, let her go."

"You waste no time," Tirek raised his hands in surrender. "Alright." He untied her, and she ran into Discord's arms, clutching him tightly.

"Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine." She whispered.
"This is sweet and all..." The man with the gun began. "But unfortunately, Sombra still insists you face your punishment." He raised the gun at her head. "You must learn...love is imprisonment, Discord." The gun shot rang through the sky.

Author's Note

I'm sorry this is so late, as well as short. Forgive me :twilightblush: I wanted to end on a cliffhanger, because i'm that evil.

Determined

"Discord!?" She shrieked, falling to his side in an instant.

The man with the gun panicked. He looked at the weapon, then at Discord, then back at the weapon. He hadn't meant to hit Discord! He was in the girls arms now, on the ground.

"Discord!?" she repeated. He stared at her blearily, the pain shooting through his arm like fire. He found himself smiling slightly, though, as the sound of police sirens wailed around the building.

"Y-you!" Tirek cried. "This was a trap!" He pointed at Discord as police officers filed in, guns raised and screaming.

"Get down on the ground!" One of them demanded.

"Put your arms behind your back, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law!" Another one said as she apprehended Tirek. One of them approached Shy, leaning down to speak to them.

"I'm calling an ambulance. There's a hospital nearby, so they'll be here shortly." He informed. Shy nodded and looked at Discord again, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm going to be okay." He groaned. "Stop worrying, it was just in the arm. We're lucky he's a horrible shot."

"Don't act like this is just something that happens." She reprimanded in disbelief.

"It's not the first time I've been shot," He admitted, wincing in pain. She gasped slightly, hoping she hadn't done something to hurt him.

"The ambulance is here." An officer called. Paramedics rushed in and lifted him onto a gurney. He turned his head to look at her, her face pale with anxiety.

"I'm gonna be fine, Flutters." He whispered as they rolled him outside and into the ambulance.

"They did WHAT?" The woman screamed, her hands flying in the air. "I put my son in your hands, and this is what happens, you let him get shot!?"

"It's not my mom's fault." Shy defended. The woman glared at her.

"Like hell it isn't."

"Hey! That's enough!" The man beside her huffed. "Loreli, wait in the car." Loreli pouted, but rolled her eyes and lifted her nose away. They watched her storm out, grumbling the whole way. "My son could have been killed, and i'm guessing you didn't even know where he was." He grunted, arms folded.

"I was told he was with Shy's friend, Rarity." Nora murmured.

"Why was he with Rarity?" Shy asked.

"Never mind who he said he was with!" The man waved his hands. "Discord cannot be trusted. You should have known he was lying!"

"What makes you think he was lying? I don't know where he was when I was taken, but he didn't show up until after he found out! He could have been at Rarity's if he said he was!" Shy argued, not liking how much faith the man put into his son.

"Hey, you stay out of this. My son is none of your business."

"Considering that his friends used my child as means of getting him there, I think it's a little bit of her business." The man glared at her, and turned to look at Shy.

"I don't know what you think you are to my son, but I promise you, I will not have my son engaged in pish-posh ideals of romance, especially with someone as indigent and tedious as yourself." He uttered.

"How dare you!" Both her mother and the man were taken aback by her volume. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she felt them watching her. "How dare you bring my and my mother's lifestyle into it. How much money we have has nothing to do with what Discord and I feel for each other. And if he weren't still in the hospital, I'm sure he'd say that same." She folded her arms, hoping she made her point. The man simply grunted, turning up his nose in disgust.

"We're done here," he growled. "Don't expect to have any type of contact with Discord once he's out, my lawyer will be sure of that." He turned and exited, walking as snobbishly as he spoke. As soon as he was gone, Nora sighed heavily and fell into a dining room chair.

"That went well," She mumbled. Looking up at her daughter, she frowned. "I'm sorry, i'll figure out a way for you to see him. I'll talk to Loreli again..."

"It's not your fault." Shy murmured, standing up. "I'm gonna go to bed."

Nora looked at her watch. "It's only eight pm."

"I know." Shy glanced back, and headed for her room. She fell onto her bed, feeling the weight of the world lean heavily on her shoulders. Of all the directions she expected her life to go in, this was definitely not one of them. She furrowed her brow as she thought of Discord's words. He acted like what happened was some frivolous deed, like it was something as mundane as brushing your teeth or waking up in the morning. He could have died! She shut her eyes, not wanting to think about it. Well he didn't, She told herself. He's fine, just like he said he'd be. Why am I such a worry-wart. She shuffled in her bed, tossing and turning as she attempted to sleep. What if I really do never see him again? What if his father can make that happen? She turned onto her back and sighed heavily. He'll be eighteen soon, his parents can't control him forever.

"Excuse me?" Discord sat up, grunting in pain as fire shot through his arm.

"Now son, you'll thank us for this later. Who knows what kind of lifestyle you could have led with that nobody holding you back." His father said. Discord cocked an eyebrow.

"Tell me, Gerard, what time period do you think we're living in?" He muttered. His father paused and looked at him, rolling his eyes.

"What are you rambling about?"

"You think that my single aspiration in life should be to wed an upper class girl, one of your fancy bourgeois friend's daughters no doubt, and to never follow my true feelings. I have news for you, father. You don't get to decide who I fall in love with, and by the looks of things, even if you could, you're too late." He spit, not caring about the consequences of speaking out against his parents. His father glared at him, clenching his jaw angrily.

"Listen to me, Derek" He spit. Discord narrowed his eyes and frowned at the use of his real name, something he had rejected since elementary school. "I have put up with this crazed teenage rebellion for quite too long. You are going to be an adult soon, that's enough of this I hate mom and dad act. Grow up!" He huffed, knocking a pile of books from the bed onto the floor. Discord stared at him, not knowing what to say. Usually when his father got angry he could spout some witty comeback and eventually his father would leave. This was not the case.

"Honey..." His mother spoke for the first time since they'd arrived. He glanced at her. "You...you-" She sighed and sat beside him. "You love her? You're...in love?" Discord's irises grew as her face appeared in his mind. He nodded fervently. She smiled slightly, glanced at her husband and bit her lip. "You hold onto that. Don't let us take it away from you." His father opened his mouth in protest, but she shushed him.

"What's with the change of heart?" Discord asked. She glanced at her husband and then at the ground.

"I have my reasons." She whispered. Gerard frowned, and rolled his eyes in disgust.

"We're leaving." He growled, grabbing her arm and dragging her from the bed. She shot her son a small smile and followed her husband out.

"I don't care what he says, I'm visiting Discord." Shy huffed, tugging on her coat.

"Can't you just wait until he's out?" Twilight asked.

"He's supposed to be discharged in nine to thirteen days...I'm not waiting that long." Shy mumbled, fumbling with the coat's zipper. Twilight sighed, grabbing her keys from her pocket.

"Well, alright. I'll give you a ride." Shy grinned and hugged her friend in thanks. Hopping into the vehicle, she tugged the seat-belt on with determination. Absolutely nothing would stop her from seeing him.

Shy entered the building, a gleam of unfaltering intent in her eyes as she maneuvered her way through. As she approached the counter her bravery faltered.

"Um...excuse me." She whispered. The woman looked up her, a bored expression on her face.

"Yes?" She uttered.

"I'm here to see Discord Draco..." She murmured nervously. She woman lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing as she began to look through patient files. "I'm family." She added.

"Room 7, straight ahead and take a right." The nurse muttered. Shy nodded her head and with a gulp, made her way to his room.

Author's Note

I promise the next chapter will have lot's and lot's of FC interaction :twilightsmile: By the way, Derek means "ruler of people" which felt suited for him, imo. And I used Draco as his last name on account of the fact that in MLP he's a draconequus. :raritywink:

I hope you enjoyed! And if you spot any errors, please let me know so I can fix them :twilightblush:

Obstacles

She poked her head in slightly, gazing at him as he lie in bed.

"Discord, are you awake?" She whispered, slowing inching further into the room. His head snapped toward her and he shot up. "Hey! Don't hurt yourself!" She fussed, rushing to his side. He would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been so happy to see her.

"It's good to see you..." He murmured. She smiled, placing her hand on his cheek. He grinned and pulled her closer to him as he kissed her. She sighed in relief as their lips met, having craved his touch for so long.

"I'm happy you're here..." He said, a prolonged sigh escaping his lips.

"But?" She guessed.

"But my father is coming back, he only left to bring me some food. If he sees you here-"

"I don't care if he sees me." She muttered defiantly.

"I do, he's not a nice man, Flutters. He's ruthless, and cruel and he'll do anything to keep my his perfect family image from being tainted."

"And...I would taint it?" She murmured sadly, already knowing the answer.

"No! Of course not. My father would simply rather have me inherit his business and obtain a rich young trophy wife." He spit angrily at the thought of his father's snobbishness. She smiled softly and looked away. "Hey," he whispered. "I-I..." He rolled his eyes at himself. She giggled at his frustration, and interrupted him with a kiss, knowing what he was trying to say.

"I never got the chance to say i'm sorry," He pulled away. "For what happened."

"It wasn't your fault..." She said, furrowing her brow.

"Indirectly I think it was." He muttered. She shook her head and grabbed his face to make him look at her.

"Did you kidnap me?" She hissed. Startled, he stared at her and shook his head. She nodded and released him, only to gasp suddenly.

"Oh my, did I hurt you!? I'm sorry!"

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. Ignoring his pain, he sat up and kissed her fervently.

"How could you all be so foolish!" The man roared, shooting up from his chair and knocking everything from his desk.

"S-Sir, w-we tried b-but-" One hooded figure stuttered, standing from his chair.

"SILENCE!" The figure quickly sat back down, quaking with fear. "You are all trained professionals, are you not!? Can you not escape a simple police raid!?" The man stared at them and growled. "You're all useless. Discord has chosen to be weak, over a diminutive, inhibited child." He was furious with Discord's decisions, but more furious with the rest of his followers for behaving fatuously.

"S-Sombra..." One rose. "With all due respect..." He swallowed as his leader turned to face him, an angry gleam in his eye. "H-have you seen her?" Some of the others snickered at the words, remembering the pretty girl who had won their ex-affiliate's affections.

"Yes, I've seen her." Sombra muttered, paying no mind to the immature conversation that ran throughout the room. "Pretty thing, too..." He murmured. They could see the thoughts turning in their leader's mind. "All of you, leave me." He uttered, causing silence to fall over the room once more as they exited. He sat down with her face in mind, devising a very devious plan.

"Derek!" A man barked. She broke away from their kiss, shooting up and almost tripping. Discord's hand shot out and grabbed her arm, keeping her upright. Her face burned bright red at the embarrassment of being caught and almost falling on her face. Gerard stood at the entrance, his foot tapping impatiently and an angry expression growing on his face.

"Father." Discord muttered distastefully.

"Tell me, are you dense? Did I drop you as a child?"

"What?" Discord asked, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir-" Shy intervened. Gerard shifted his angry eyes toward her. "I came here without telling him, I was just about to leave-"

"Oh it sure looked like you were about to do something else." He huffed. Shy was taken aback by his words.

"What are you insinuating?" She scoffed, insulted.

"You know what i'm insinuating, girl." He muttered. "Now you can be on your way." Shy sighed, knowing she couldn't win this battle.

"Flutters, you don't have to do what he says." Discord said quietly, grabbing her arm.

"It's fine, i'll visit you tomorrow." She whispered, pecking him quickly on the lips and avoiding his father's gaze, which made her cheeks glow bright. Discord furrowed his brow as he watched her leave.

"You can't micro-manage my life forever, Gerard." Discord growled.

"Yes I can." He sneered. "You forget that you're my son and you're to do what you are told until you are eighteen! I won't tolerate your insolence much longer!"

Discord frowned, not bothering to retaliate. There was no winning this argument, but he would win the fight.

"So he made you leave?" Twilight asked, a look of sympathy in her eyes.

"Well...he didn't make me. I just figured I should. Why do we have to face these obstacles just to be together?" She remarked, lost in thought.

"If true love was easy, we'd all have it." Twilight murmured. "It'll be okay." She reassured. Nodding, Shy lay her head down on the couch and shut her eyes. Perhaps everything was going to be okay.

"Sombra s-sir, are you sure this is a good idea?" Sombra glared at the boy stuttering boy, choosing not to answer. They were standing outside of the girl's home, peering at the light filled windows. "How will we know when she's asleep?" The boy shook.

"Quiet!" Sombra hissed. "Patience is key, fledgling."

"Why are we doing this sir?" he whispered. "You said so yourself, Discord is powerful. What if he comes for us?"

"He won't." Sombra growled lowly. "He's in the hospital, or have you forgotten your rookie mistake?"

"N-no sir." They continued to watch the house, peering out from behind the bushes. With a flicker of light, the light from her bedroom went out.

"Let's go."

They entered the home effortlessly, Sombra grinning at his pupil's lock-picking skills. It was the only reason he brought the little nuisance along.

"You stay here, i'll obtain the wench." The boy nodded at his master's command and watched him head upstairs.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." He whispered.

Author's Note

First, I apologize for this taking so long. Writers block hit me like a truck after the last chapter, but I tried the best I could. And I'm sorry it's so short! Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed and I promise i'll try to update the next chapter sooner :pinkiehappy:

Also, did anyone catch the ouat reference? :raritywink:

Path

Shy sighed as she pulled her blanket over her shivering body. She wasn't tired, she was beginning to regret the nap she took at Twilight's. Tired or not, she reached over the turn off her lamp and snuggled back into her blanket.

She turned to the side, Discord's face popping into her mind. His smile, the way she caught him looking at her. She'd never felt anything like this for another person, not in the slightest. She missed him being in her home, she missed the way he rolled his eyes but kept a smile on his face when she would tease him. She missed the way he teased her back without missing a beat.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she heard a loud clang. She jolted upright, turning on her lamp and hopped out of bed. It's probably just mom, getting a late night snack. She told herself. Another clang came, closer than before. Or not. Gulping, she approached her bedroom door and poked her head out, peering down the dark empty hallway before her. With each footstep she took, it felt as if someone was watching her.

"M-mom?" She whispered when she spotted a dark figure across the room.

"Sorry kiddo, you're out of luck." A voice from behind her sneered. The person across the room only stared as she was grabbed from behind. She struggled against them, attempting to cry out when he covered her mouth. She furrowed her brow angrily, and bit his hand.

"Gah!" He cried out, releasing her long enough for her to dart for the door.

She dashed for the woods, ignoring her pounding heart and aching limbs. She felt her frightened tears slip down her face as she heard him running after her, calling her name.

"Come on out, little Fluttershy, I won't hurt you. I just want to talk." The dark voice hissed. She was panting as she hid behind a tree, shutting her eyes tightly as beads of sweat trickled down her face. She tried to steady her breathing, so he wouldn't hear. She listened to the sound of his footsteps, seemingly getting further way as his voice called out to her. "It'd be a shame if something were to happen to your dear mother, wouldn't it." He threatened. Panic coursed through her veins. "Have it your way." He muttered.

She was shaking, but emerged from her hiding place. He was a ways away, but she knew he'd hear her if she called. "W-what do you want with me?" She stuttered. He whipped around to face her, eyes glowering.

"Simply leverage, of course." He answered, looking her up and down. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly embarrassed about her bunny pajama pants. His dark chuckle caused a shiver to run over her, fear taking over every part of her. She started to cry again.

"W-why?" She whispered.

"You've never been in a gang before, have you?" He lilted. She shook her head and watched him as his hand slid to his pocket.

"You have a gun," She remarked, eyeing his hand.

"Don't give me a reason to use it, sweetcheeks."

"What do you want with me?"

"I want you to never contact Discord again. You're a distraction from his actual purpose- chaos. You see any chaos being wreaked since you stumbled into his life?" The man muttered.

"W-why is that so important to you?" She stuttered, searching for a path she could take if she needed to run.

"We've got a goal. But i'm not gonna tell you what it is." He paused, seeing her growingly anxious face. "Don't even think about running until I get the answer I'm looking for. So what's it gonna be, give Discord his freedom, or- well..." He chuckled. "You don't want to know the or." She thought for a moment as she swallowed, still sweating. Reaching behind her, she glared at him.

"I never took his freedom." She hissed, and fired the gun straight at him. He lunged for the ground as she took off, not even able to see where she was running.

"Where did she get a gun!?" Sombra roared.

"I'm not sure, sir!" The other boy caught up. "You're lucky she missed." Sombra glared down at his grazed arm.

"Hardly." He growled and scanned the woods, but she was long gone. "She won't get very far, and even so, I know where she lives. She'll have to come back."

Shy dashed through the trees, avoiding fallen branches and leaves blocking her path. She didn't know how long she ran but knew that every part of her ached. She was shaking as she slid down against a tree, still tightly clutching the gun. Panting and crying, she knew they'd hear her if they were near. She thanked every force in the world that she remembered her father kept a gun hidden in the bushes near their home. She was relieved to find it was still there, but horrified to use it. What would the man do to her for shooting him? She hoped she hadn't killed him! She didn't have time to stick around and find out if he was injured or not. By now she was panicking, unsure of where she was and the sun was far from rising. She gulped. Where am I?

Author's Note

This is so short, I'm sorry! And i'm also sorry it took forever to get out. I've been hit with seriously bad writers block lately. I'm going to try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible, that'll probably be a week or two, possibly longer. I won't make any promises but I hope I can get it out faster for you all :pinkiesmile:

Stay

"Wake up son." His father's irate voice pierced through his dream. Sunlight poured through the hospital windows, blinding him for a breif moment as he opened his eyes. Discord grunted and rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Stop being so immature!" His father cried and yanked the blankets off him. "Todays the day, you're coming home."

"Like hell I am." Discord replied for the first time, his voice muffled by a pillow.

Piching the bridge of his nose, Gerard glared at his son and said with a huff, "Be up and ready to leave in fifteen minutes."
Discord rolled his eyes but pushed himself up, igniting a dull pain in his side. As if he was going to go all the way home and risk never seeing Shy again. Then, there was the situation with Sombra, who would no doubt retaliate against his recent rebellion. But what could they do? They could run away, but would she be willing to leave her entire life behind? For him? No, he wasn't worth that.

Burying his face in his hands, he took a moment before standing up and glancing around the room. His father left a change of clothes on the chair beside his bed and a bag to pack what belongings he had with him. Grabbing them, he peered outside the door and saw several nurses chatting and giggling. They won't notice, he decided as he slipped into his clothes.

As he exited the room, he discovered he was right. None of them glanced up or acknowledged him as he glided down the hall and into an elevator with ease. His father would be waiting in the parking lot, and that was not where he was headed. Slinking around the nurses at the front desk and into the fire exit, he shut the door quietly and hopped down the endless flight of stairs. The sunlight was a welcome glow on his face as he stepped outside for the first time in weeks. Nobody payed him any mind as he hailed a taxi and stuffed fifty dollars in the man's hand and told him the address. I'm coming, Flutters. And no-one can stop me.

Shy opened her eyes to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of smoke. A fox was sniffing at her feet curiously.

"Hello little guy," She greeted with a yawn, scanning her surroundings and gasping in realization. About to scream for help, she remembered the man who was chasing her, and that he would no doubt hear her if she did. She sighed helplessly. How would she ever get home? Was her mother alright? Was the man even still out here? Or-oh no- had she truly injured him enough to cause...death?

No. She wouldn't think about such things. She had to find a way to get back home. But...which way was home? She glanced behind her, deciding to retrace her steps, like a child who had lost something. She started back the way she came, unsure of whether it would work.

As she ventured, the sun slowly started to rise. She wished she had time to relish in the beauty of the gold and pink sky. She released a heavy breath, which she could see in the chilly morning air. Walking was becoming tiresome, and she could've sworn she had passed the same bushes an hour ago. Am I going in circles? She then remembered something from her childhood, her father teaching her to navigate using the sun.

"Remember baby, the Sun rises due east and sets due west. Remember this, and you'll always find your way home."

A grin spread across her face and she thanked whoever was out there for the man her father had been. She knew her bedroom window was always facing the sun, and felt relief wash over her.

She didn't know how long it would take but now at least knew where she was going. She was tired, and running out of breath. . She dearly hoped her mother was alright, and that he had not harmed her as revenge for her firing at him. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes at the thought, and at the tiredness that burdened her.

Discord hopped out of the car and darted inside, not caring to knock. This place had become a home to him. Careful not to step too loudly, he made his way to her bedroom.

He was shocked to find her gone. It wasn't a school day, and she never volunteered at the shelter on Saturdays...where was she? Was it as he feared? Had Sombra come for her?

"Shit shit shit shit shit." He whispered, ripping the blanket from the bed, searching for a clue-for anything that might lead him to her. He checked every room in the house, finding that not even Nora was home, her car wasn't in the drive-way. He head outside, his heart practically beating out of his chest. Where would Sombra take her, wh-

His thoughts were interrupted as something cold and metal hit him from behind. He was knocked to the ground, his face in the dirt. His heart was beating faster than ever, he felt ridiculous- the once brave and proud Discord, now scared to death.

"Sombra, please-" He turned over to face his attacker.

"Discord?" She asked, puzzled. Her hair was in tangles and dirt and mud covered her face and clothing.

"O-Oh my god!" She threw the shovel to the ground and fell to hug him. "I'm so sorry I-I thought-I thought you were someone else!"

He was still processing his shock as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Flutters?"

"Yeah," She giggled tearily. "I'm here."

He sighed heavily with relief and held her closer, burying his face in her shoulder. She pulled away all too soon.

"Is your head okay? I'm so sorry!" She cried.

"I'm fine." He muttered, grabbing her shoulders gently. "Where were you? What happened?"

"I-" She paused to glance around. "A man he-he came after me. He said he wanted me to give you your freedom or else."

"That was Sombra." Discord groaned. "Shy...I lo-you're my-" He growled in frustration. Why couldn't he just say it? "If being around me continues to put you in danger...i'm afraid I don't-I won't-I'm not going to continue to put you in harms way."

She took a step back. "What are you saying?"

"I'm not-" He sighed. "You deserve to be with someone who isn't going to get you kidnapped or attacked on a regular basis."

"I think I can decide for myself what I deserve." She snapped.

"And is this what you think you deserve? Is this what you want?"

"I don't care what happens to me, so long as I'm with you!"

"Well I do! And I thought I was reckless and self destructive!" He scoffed. "You're being childish. I'm trying to protect you."

"You sound like my mom." She hissed, and then paused, realization washing over her. "Where's my mom? W-was she inside?" She asked, already heading for the door.

"No." He said, their fight momentarily forgotten. "Her car isn't here."

"She doesn't work this early on Saturdays..." She murmured as he followed her inside.

"What am I going to do!?" She cried. "What if they hurt her?" She collapsed into his arms. He fell onto the sofa, still cradling her.

He wanted to say something, but had no idea what. This is exactly what he was talking about. Now her own mother could've fallen prey to an attack, all because of him. He needed to leave before he got her seriously hurt. Though as he held her, he could not imagine ever letting go. She sniffed and stared up at him.

"With everything that's happening, you're still here. And...that's all I want. I'm worried for my mother, sure, but you not being here would've made it 1000 times worse, Discord." She explained.

"Then I guess I have to stay." He stated, matter-of-factly, running his fingers through her hair.

Author's Note

The mushiness in this chapter made me 100% uncomfortable, but I hope you all like it and I hope it's written well enough. I've never found myself too good at writing fluff.

Anyways! So so sorry that this took months to get out. I've had a huge lack of motivation and inspiration. Fortunately, as I was in the process of re-reading one of my favorite stories on here, (The Opera Phantom Discord, please read it it's so good) inspiration struck. I'm not going to promise the next chapter will be out super fast, but as I said i'm feeling inspire and will make sure not to take months to update again. Enjoy!

Travels

It was dark as they remained on the couch, waiting for her mother to return. Shy fell asleep first. He stared in wonder as she lay her head against his chest and her eyes fluttered shut. He was amazed that this sweet, incredible person could love someone like him. He was reckless, he made mistakes and he had done bad things-some of which she knew nothing about. Yet, the things she did know, she didn't care about and brushed them off like they were nothing. To him, it was nothing short of remarkable.

He felt himself being lulled into the pull of sleep. At home, he had an extravagant bed with silk sheets and soft pillows, yet here, he had never been more comfortable. His eyes drifted shut wearily right as the front door opened and someone stumbled in, turning on the lights.

"S-Shy!?" Nora cried. "My baby!"

Her eyes shot open at the noise and suddenly she was pulled into her mother's arms.

"I've been looking for you for hours!"

"Mom i'm okay." She whispered as she heard her mother sniffle.

"Where were you?" Nora asked, pulling away to examine her. "Are you hurt?"

"I-"

"It was my fault." Discord said. "I took her out and I guess we lost track of time."

"For an entire day!?"

"Yes, well..." He chuckled nervously. Shy glanced at him apprehensively and nodded.

"U-uh, yeah-he's right, we're sorry. We didn't mean to worry you." She gulped.

Her mother glanced between the two doubtfully, and sighed. "Alright...Discord do your parent's know you're here?"

"Absolutely." He lied.

She pursed her lips. "Well then, it's too late to bring you home now. I'll take you in the morning."

Shy shot him a nervous look as her mother headed upstairs. "Why did you lie to her?"

"Because i'm not going home." He answered simply. "I can't stay here, either."

She frowned. "What are you going to do?"

He let out an exasperated breath and fell back onto the sofa. "I have no idea."

"You promised you'd stay." She shot.

"And I will." He said sincerely, taking her hand. "I just can't stay long. Sombra is no doubt angry with me and is going to come back, over and over and it'll never end, my dear."

"He's not just angry with you anymore." She said nervously.

He glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"Um, well...I may have, kind of, accidentally-"

"What?"

"I kind of shot him in the forest."

"You what!? Where did you even get a gun!?" He shot up, stunned.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" She warned, glancing up the stairs. "My dad used to keep it hidden in the bushes. I remembered it last minute."

"Why would you fire a weapon at someone who is hellbent on hurting you?"

"I-I panicked. I'm sorry."

"We need to leave." He said perturbedly, starting up the stairs and into her bedroom.

"Wait what?" She followed him.

"I won't take anymore chances, I just won't." He said, stuffing her clothing into a backpack.

"D-Discord, stop."

"I thought he was just after me but after what you've done-I-"

She grabbed his arm gently, her face filled with concern. "What are you doing?"

He stared at her. "I've gotta get you somewhere safe."

"What about my mom?"

"He's too focused on you and I to go after her. She'll be okay."

"I-I can't just leave. I have my friends, my school, my whole life."

He sighed heavily and sat on the bed. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is take you from your life. But what am I to do?"

"Isn't there a way for you to overthrow him? For you to become the leader?" She asked. He blinked at her.

"I watch a lot of dystopian movies." She explained with a sigh.

"No, you're actually onto something." He mused, rising from the bed.

"I am?"

"There is a way."

"How? Maybe I can help you."

"No, no no. If i'm to do this, I'm to do it alone. It's not something I want you witnessing."

She glared at him. "You can't stop me."

"Flutters, really, I don't want you there."

"Too bad." She said.

"Listen to me!" He hissed. "The only way is for me to engage in una lucha a muerte."

She furrowed her brow. "In what?"

"It's spanish." He frowned. "It means- a fight to the death."

"You mean...you have to kill him?"

"Do you understand now why I don't want you there? This is heavy stuff, stuff beyond your understanding."

"Don't patronize me. I-I understand." She balked. "I still don't want you to go alone."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He used to think he was stubborn.

"Face it, i'm going." She folded her arms across her chest.

He sighed, but zipped her backpack and handed it to her. "Then let's go."

The two snuck out into the forest. Discord seemed to know where he was going and she trusted him. She had insisted on going, but in truth, she was horrified. Horrified for Discord's safety, for her own safety, for what would happen next. The forest reminded her of the night she spent running away, like prey on the run from a predator. Discord being there beside her made it easier, however, and they continued on. They traveled through the woods for what seemed like hours until they found a road.

"We'll need to take the bus." He said, eyes focused on a bus stop ahead.

"The earliest bus that comes is at 6am, and it's nowhere near sunrise." She sighed, glancing at her watch, which read 2:15.

"We'll just have to wait." He decided, approaching the bench and taking a seat. She sat beside him with a yawn.

"Still tired?" He asked.

"No-i'm fine." She answered. Truthfully, she was very tired. She wanted nothing more than to lay her head down and shut her eyes. She simply couldn't bring herself to do so. Discord liked to believe he was good at hiding his emotions, but she could read him well. He was scared, just like she was. She could tell in the way he clenched his jaw, in the way his hands shook when he thought she wasn't looking. She refused to let him feel alone even for a second.

The hours passed slowly, their only entertainment the sounds of dogs barking and cars honking. Much to her relief, the sun eventually started to rise. She knew her mother would be waking up soon and find the note she left. She hoped she would understand that she had no other choice. After-all, her mother knew what it was like to harbor so much love and affection for a person, that you couldn't let them go, not for a second. She sighed and checked the time. 5:43.

More people were starting to show up as the time got closer to 6:00. They didn't seem to notice the two teenagers, who had clearly been rambling around in the woods.

"The bus should be here soon." She murmured sleepily. He watched her in adoration, pulling a leaf out of her hair.

"Promise me one thing. When we get where we're going, you'll get some sleep." He contended, dropping the leaf to the ground.

"Where are we going?"

"There's this hotel in my old town, the owner and I are close. Het let me stay there when things got rough at home."

"That's really kind of him."

"Yeah, ol' cranky is nice like that."

The bus came to a hard stop with a hissing sound that stifled the light conversation of the crowd around them. The group piled in one by one and found their seats. She felt as though she was going to suffocate in the muggy air surrounding them.

"Never taken public transport before?" Discord asked, noticing her nauseated look. She shook her head. Chuckling, he wrapped an arm around her and grabbed a bottled water from her backpack. "Here, this will help."

She smiled and took a sip, thankful for something cold to relieve her senses. The time passed quicker than she expected and by the time they were let off her watch read 8:20.

"Cranky's place is just up the road." Discord smiled fondly, memories of his friend passing through his mind. Cranky had been more of a father to him than his own.

"Why do you call him Cranky?" She asked as they walked.

"You'll see."

They entered the building to find an old man screaming into a phone.

"If you don't like it, then you need to change it Steven! I don't care how much it costs. Do you know how much it costs to quit complaining to me about it?" He paused. "That's right! Nothing!"

"Ahem." Discord uttered. Shy couldn't help but smile a little as the man ignored Discord and continued his rambling into the phone.

"Craaanky." Discord sang. Cranky finally slammed his phone down and glanced up.

"Weelllll if it isn't my old pal Discord." Cranky greeted with a chuckle. "What brings you back here?"

"I need to stay here, just for a night."
Cranky went around the counter and started filing through papers. "Alright, I can get you booked in room 8. Room for one?"

"Cranky-"

"It's not your favorite, I know, but room 7 is already taken. Room 8 is just as great, it's got one bed, one ba-"

"Cranky I want you to meet someone."

Cranky finally stopped and took notice of the young looking girl beside him. His mouth broke into a wide grin and he gasped.

"Looks like someone got themselves a girlfriend."

Shy felt her face redden.

"Um yes well-"

"What's your name kid?" He asked her.

"Shy." She answered with an anxious smile.

"Let me tell you, you've snagged yourself a good one, Shy. I've known this boy since he was ten years old. The stories I could tell you-"

"Cranky, the room." Discord interrupted.

He frowned. "Fine. Ruin my fun. Here's the key."

"Thank you, Cranky." Discord smiled.

"And don't let me find any type of weird stains when you two leave!" Cranky called.

Shy shot him a mortified look to which Discord laughed loudly. "Yeah, Cranky's a little much to those who haven't known him long." He said, putting the key in the lock and opening the door.

"A bit." She smiled. "So um...when are you-"

"Tomorrow. You should rest until then."

She eyed him and simpered, pulling him to the bed and kissing him softly.

"Or we can do this." He chuckled in between kisses and tugged off his shirt.

Nora opened her eyes and and yawned. The house was completely silent. Shy must not be up yet, she thought. She put on her robe and padded down the hallway to Shy's bedroom, and knocked. No answer.

"That's odd." She opened the door and gasped. Her bed was perfectly made, it hadn't been slept in.

"Shy?" She paced around the room and spotted it. A folded note on her daughter's dresser. She swallowed anxiously and opened it.

Dear mom, please don't freak out. Discord and I We have to go somewhere. We'll be back in a day, so please don't worry about me. Try to understand. If you had known what dad was going to do, wouldn't you have done anything to stop him?

I'm sorry. I'll see you soon, I love you. -Shy

"Oh my god." She whispered.

Go

She awoke peacefully, stretching her arm out to the other side of the bed. She shot upright when all she felt was the blanket, flat against the mattress.

"Discord?!" She hopped out of bed and nearly tripped attempting to get her clothes on. Where is he? Did he go off without me? He promised he wouldn't! She started to panic, her breathing faltering for a second as she heard the bathroom door open.

"What's wrong?" He asked, a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair soaking wet. She exhaled heavily, relieved laughter bubbling in her throat.

"I thought-"

"I know, but i'm right here." He sighed. She hugged him tightly, not caring that he was still wet. "I still think it's a bad idea for you to come." He said, tugging his clothes back on.

"I still think it's necessary that I do." She retorted. He sighed, no use arguing. He promised himself he wouldn't put her in danger, and intended to keep that promise. He simply needed to find a way to convince her to stay away from them.

He decided to change the subject. "How about we go get some breakfast?"
As they ate, she watched him cautiously. She had a feeling that he was going to do something stupid. He held up his fork and caught her gaze.

"What?" He asked.

"N-nothing." She stuttered, looking away.

"Come on, what?"

"W-We're gonna do this like we planned, right? You're not gonna trick me or force me not to come?"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shy, I don't want you to see me-" He glanced around and lowered his voice. "I don't want you to see me kill someone."

She frowned. "I-"

"You would never look at me the same." He interrupted, knowing what she wanted to say.

"That's not true." She countered, not fully believing her own words. She hadn't really thought about it-Discord killing someone. Even if he had to. Maybe it wasn't something she wanted to witness. But she had to be there for him! What if he got hurt and she had no way of knowing? Protecting one another was a two way street, and after all he'd done for her, she wasn't going to sit back and let him do this alone.

"It is true, my dear. And I think you know it." He said.

She glanced away."How will I know if something happens to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise."

"But what if-"

He leaned over and kissed her, not wanting to speculate on the 'what ifs' anymore. She shut her eyes and kissed back, it was all she could do.

"I love you." She whispered when they separated.

"I love you too." He replied. "More than anything on this entire planet."

"Are you two done with your order?" A waitress asked as she passed by.

Discord cleared his throat. "Yes we- we're done."

The waitress nodded, grabbing their plates and leaving the bill. Discord left the cash on the table and stood, grabbing her hand.

"Let's go somewhere for a little while, before I go." He said. She took a deep breath and mustered up a smile, following wherever he went.

They wound up on the beach, away from the noise of the town. She started to laugh as he lead her to the shore.

"Why are we here?" She inquired.

"What, you don't like the beach?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course I like the beach."

"Then don't question me." He teased, stripping off his pants and shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"We're going swimming." He chuckled.

"We don't even have swimsuits."

"We don't need them." And with that, he stepped into the water, going deeper until it was at his chest. "Come on in, the water's great!"

She breathed in deeply, taking a look around to make sure nobody was near. Laughing, she stripped herself of her clothes and joined him in the water.

"This is crazy." She snickered.

He smiled widely. "But fun, yes?"

She simpered. "Yes."

They got out of the water after an hour, both exhausted.

"I guess we should head back to hotel, now." He murmured.

"And then...you're leaving." She said, her smile dying down.

"Yeah..." He whispered.

They returned to the hotel and dried themselves off. He avoided looking at her at first, not sure why. He had an odd feeling in his chest. When he finally turned to face her, he was unsure what to say. He didn't want to say goodbye- that made it seem like he wouldn't be returning. And he needed her to know he was returning. Shy's heart was racing, unprepared to let him go.

"I'm going to come back." He said with absolute certainty. She nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. He hugged her tightly, shutting his eyes. They kissed again, and with every inch of willpower that he had, he walked out of the door.

She started to cry, and watched him through the window. "He's gonna come back." She told herself quietly.

She didn't really believe it.

He took the bus again, and it felt quite different without Shy there beside him. He knew he was doing the right thing, he was keeping her out of harms way. Still, he'd never felt more alone. Sombra would've found a way to use her against him, had she shown up.

The sun was setting as he was let off, and the air started to chill. Sombra's hideout wasn't a far walk from here, but he wasn't sure what to do once he got there. He'd killed before, but only ever in self defense. Guys from other gangs wanted to show how tough they were and went after him. He did what he had to do.

But this was different. This was a man who he once worshiped. A man he listened to and respected and now he was going to attempt to kill him. He would gain the gangs' respect and subsequently, they would follow him.

His body stiffened as he heard footsteps behind him.

"Well well well, boys. Look who decided to join us on this lovely evening." Sombra's voice was dark and angry.

"Hello Sombra." Discord said, turning around. Sombra held a gun out, and the rest of the group backed away.

"I knew you'd come back to us." Sombra said. "That girl wasn't enough to make you stay away."

Discord blinked. Did Sombra really believe he was back to rejoin them?

"That's not why I'm here."

Sombra cocked his head. "Then why are you here?"

"I challenge you to a fight to the death." Discord said. Once the words escaped his mouth, there was no going back.

Sombra chuckled deeply, throwing his head back in laughter.

"It won't be much of a fight." He declared.

Denouement-part 1

Discord lifted his chin, and didn't dare to back down. His old friends stared at him with wide eyes. They knew Discord had gone rogue, but to challenge Sombra...he had to be absolutely insane!

"Gotta hand it to you, Discord." Sombra said as he circled him. "You're persistent."

"I learned from the best." Discord replied bitterly.

"But you're also redundant." Sombra muttered. "You're nothing but a speck of dirt on my shoes."

"Quit stalling, Sombra."

Sombra grinned wickedly. "Alright."

Discord jerked back and barely missed Sombra's blow. From the corner of his eye, he saw his other arm start upwards. He ducked this time, and felt his hair ruffle with the force of it. Sombra sprung forward. Discord sidestepped, whirled to face him. His opponent lunged. He avoided a flying fist, only to collide with another. The blow glanced off his rib cage. In front of him, Sombra grinned and swung again.

Avoidance was simple, but it couldn’t last forever. Minutes passed with no contact, and Discord felt pressure emanating from all sides.

"Give up, Discord!" He heard Sombra call. "Quit embarrassing yourself!"

"Itching to quit already Sombra?" Discord asked.

Sombra smirked, and thrust forward. The quick blow had opened Discord up for another attack and Sombra gladly obliged, putting a simple sidekick into his stomach, doubling him over. The crowd watching let out a collective wince.

Sombra charged forward and instead of colliding with him, opted to wrap his fists around Discord's neck instead. The maneuver caught Discord off guard.

"Last chance to give up." Sombra whispered as Discord pawed at his hands. He was pulled off of his back violently and thrown across the floor. He skidded along the ground, uncontrolled. A groan escaped his lips as he looked up. Just as Sombra was about to reach him, he kicked his legs forward with great force and knocked the older man to the ground.

The entire room was silent and it was as if time itself was holding its breath. Every person watching the fight was so enthralled, watching for who would be their new leader. Discord approached Sombra, who was sprawled out on the ground.

"Get up." He growled. Sombra didn't move. Discord kicked him hard in the ribs. "Get up!"

Faster than lightning, Sombra lunged up and grabbed Discord by his shirt. He threw him to the ground, the cold barrel of a gun pressed to his temple.

"You've broken the rules, Sombra." Discord's voice was barely above a whisper. He attempted to keep calm as Sombra cocked the gun.

"I made the rules. Now everyone is going to see what happens when you challenge me!" Sombra raved, a sinister laugh escaping his throat.

The crowed awaited the sound of gunfire, but none came. Instead they heard their leader gasp, and saw him recoil against the pavement. They then remembered the rules. There were no weapons, but if one person pulled a weapon, so could the other. In Discord's hands he held a knife. Sombra attempted to reach for the gun he dropped, but Discord kicked it away.

"Renounce your leadership, and this won't have to end in death." Discord muttered.

"Coward!" Sombra spit, clutching his gut. "Damn coward!"

"Mercy is not a sign of cowardice."

Sombra chuckled wildly. "Mercy!? You call this mercy? Forcing me to relinquish my power in exchange for my life? I'd rather die!"

"I'm not going to kill you." Discord said. He knew Sombra couldn't reclaim his title after breaking the rules. He was finished.

He watched Sombra's face contort into an expression of pure rage. Discord simply turned, ready to return to the only person who had ever truly cared for him.

The sound of gunfire startled him, but he hadn't been hit. He turned to see his past mentor lying on the ground. Sombra was dead.

Author's Note

Surprise, I'm not dead! So sorry that this took nearly 3 months and is still so short. Writers block hates me. This story is coming to an end which is kinda sad because despite the fact that I take so long to update I really liked writing it.

Enough of me being dramatic, enjoy!

Denouement - part 2

Discord was huffing, escaping into the brisk streets and onto the highway. One of the gang members had shot Sombra, eliminating him as the leader for good. Whoever shot him would be the new leader, and Discord thought it best to get out while he could. Now he was on his way back to where he promised he would be.

Shy paced back and forth before the window, checking every couple of minutes if he was there. He had been gone for a little over an hour and she was beginning to lose hope. She slumped to the ground and covered her mouth to restrain a sob. She thought about the first time she met him, how intimidating yet inciting he was.

The doorknob turned and the door pushed open, loud feet shuffled inside.

"Discord!?" Shy jumped from the floor wide eyed and heart racing.

"Er, fraid not," Cranky uttered, hands by his side. "Where's Discord?"

Shy crossed her arms with pursed lips and lowered eyes. "He's running an errand."

Cranky cocked an eyebrow. "An errand?"

"Mhm," She nodded. "Picking up some food."

Cranky smiled with amused eyes and set something down on the unmade bed.

"I just wanted to bring him this, thought he might like it."

She looked down at the little brown box curiously and watched Cranky head for the door.

"Have a good night," He said.

She smiled tightly and clasped her hands together. "You too."

The door shut and she breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around to look at the box and walked over to it to brush her fingers along the smooth wooden top.

She silently wondered what Cranky had given him and went to open the latch- but a sound stopped her. The door opened.

"Flutters," she heard his voice from behind. She was too afraid to turn around. Too afraid to look and realize she'd only imagined his voice. She swallowed and retracted her shaking hand from the box.

Discord didn't need to see her face to know she was afraid. The way she stood was tense and her hands were trembling. He wanted to grab her and make her turn around and look at him!

"Turn around, Flutters," he whispered.

Shy felt a tear fall down her cheek and mumbled, "I can't,"

He stepped forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward him. She spun around in an instant and clung to him so tightly he almost couldn't breathe. He didn't even mind.

"I was so worried," She mumbled into his chest.

"I'm really alright." Discord told her.

She pulled away slowly to look at his face. "Did you-"

"He's dead...but I didn't kill him."

Shy raised her eyebrows. "Who did?"

Discord shook his head. "Doesn't matter, it's done. We need to get you home..."

Shy gave him a small smile and gasped suddenly. "I almost forgot- Cranky left something for you. Over on the bed." She pointed.

Discord saw the box lying there and lowered his brow. He went around the bed and leaned down to open the latch.

"What's inside?" Shy asked from behind him.

Discord shook his head, he didn't understand. "Just a key," He said.

"A key?"

"I don't know what it's for..." He muttered.

"We should go ask! He's probably still at his desk!" Shy enthused.

Discord smiled at her. She was practically bouncing up and down like a little kid. They left the room to find Cranky, key in hand.

Cranky was doing his usual night routine, checking his cash register and going over files of paperwork. A little bell chimed as the two walked into the booking room.

Cranky looked up from his paperwork and gave a little smile.

"You got my present?" Cranky asked.

Discord nodded. "I don't get it," He said. "What's it for?"

Cranky looked at him like he was an idiot. "It's for you,"

Discord and Shy exchanged a strange look and turned back to the older man.

"I still don't get it."

Cranky rolled his eyes and sighed, yanking the key out of Discord's hand.

"This key is to my house." He said bluntly. "I've got no kids to leave it to...and i'm about to retire. I won't need the old thing anymore-it's paid off in full."

Discords mouth dropped open-he couldn't even speak!

Shy looked at him in concern. "But Cranky, where will you live?!"

The older man smirked. "I'm gonna travel the world!"

"Cranky I-I don't know what to say," Discord huffed.

"Say thank you before I change my dang mind."

Discord let out a small thank you in between his surprised laughter.

"It's about time you get out of your parents place. They don't know what's right for you...and if you need a job to keep up with the bills, I'd love nothing more than if you took over this place for me while i'm gone."

Shy watched the mixture of excitement and appreciation on Discord's face endearingly. She could tell he was at a complete loss for words. It wasn't every day someone offered you a paid off house and a full-time job in the same breath.

"Thank you so much," Discord finally managed to say. "I can't believe this,"

"You can spend the rest of the month being stunned. Tonight you need to get this young lady home."

Discord looked at her and knew he was right. "It's a long bus ride back," He said, remembering how nauseated she got on their way here.

"My mother is probably worried sick..." She murmured.

Discord gestured to the door and said, "Let's go and pack."

Author's Note

i........................literally have no excuse for being gone for like.......a year. Well, I do but it's minor. Writers block grabbed me by my hair and shoved my face into a brick wall, kicking me in the stomach while she did so. I've meant to update this but I literally was just so stuck and I was going through some stuff and school was stressful lalalalalala. Excuses aside I'm still so sorry this took so long and if you're still even interested in this story and its characters after so long then thank you so much. This probably isn't the last chapter but its coming close. I promiseeeee I won't take another year to upload the next one!! Thanks so much for reading <3 (PS. I'M SORRY!!)

Our own little thing

"Thanks for coming over, Rarity." Shy greeted warmly as her friend sashayed into the room, adorned in her finest jewels.

"Sorry about all this," She hummed. "I have a dinner party this evening with my Auntie and didn't have the time to stop to get ready."

"That's alright, you look sumptuous as ever." Shy smiled, setting up the tea pot.

"Thank you, darling. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked, taking the tea cup delicately and putting it to her lips.

"You've had sex, right?" Rarity nearly spit out her tea at the presumptuous question.

"Dear, why would you ever ask a question like that? It's far too personal." She reprimanded.

"But we're friends right? Can't we talk about things like that?" Shy didn't know who else to turn to. Rarity was the only one of her friends who, to her knowledge, had 'done it' so to speak. Rarity sighed, and set down her teacup, scooting closer to her friend.

"I suppose so." Rarity said, shooting her friend an uneasy glance. "What would you like to know?"

"Does it hurt?" she grimaced.

"It's different for everyone. It didn't hurt my first time, because the guy I was with was gentle and considerate of my body. Take it from me, don't do it until you're ready, dear. You're only fifteen after all." She said in a mature voice, smiling understandingly. Shy gave her a thoughtful smile, bringing her tea cup to her lips. "Is this about that Discord guy? Is he pressuring you to sleep with him?"

"I wouldn't say pressuring." She murmered.

"But he wants to."

"...Yes, I suppose so." Her eyes darted at the ground, avoiding eye contact with her friend. She felt foolish, almost having slept with a guy she knew for a few weeks. She couldn't explain it, something about him was incredibly intoxicating. His invading reddish eyes made her feel inexplicably safe, despite their aura of mystery.

"Do you like him?" She glanced up, shocked by the question. Suddenly a wave of warmth came over as she thought of him, the way she would sometimes catch him smiling warmly at her, his eyes bright with something she couldn't place, or even the specks of sadness she would catch in his face sometimes.

"I do." She said, a gentle smile plastered on her face.

"Just-don't let him break your heart." Rarity warned, concern gleaming in her eyes. Shy was the kindest, most sensitive of all her friends. She had a tendency to let herself get walked all over. Shy nodded at her words, suddenly jumping at the sound of the front door opening.

"Discord!" She greeted. "I thought you were having lunch with your parents?"

"I was, but they're imperious, overbearing, self-important hoity toities." He spit, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Oh...you remember Rarity, don't you?"

"Pleasure to see you, again." Rarity said, her lips pulled into a polite smile.

"I'm sure." He responded grumpily, pulling the milk carton from the refrigerator and drinking directly from it.

"Well," Rarity cleared her throat, her lips pursed. "I must be going. See you Monday, Shy."

"Bye." Shy called nervously. Discord certaintly had a lack of manners when it came to others. He waited to hear the door shut before approaching her, pulling her into a kiss.

"Discord- I don't- I um...how about we..." She swallowed. He cocked an eyebrow, his gaze following her to the living room. "Just...hang out?"

"Hang out?" He drawled, eyeing her conspicuously. She blushed under his gaze, sitting on the couch and patting the space beside her.

"You know, hang out. Pop some popcorn, watch a movie." He observed her as she clicked the television on, giving him a nervous smile.

"Alright..." He shrugged, sitting beside her. "Just don't pick some sappy chick-flick." He grunted. They eventually settled in, having agreed on a movie called 'A little chaos.' Honestly, he only agreed because of the title. Once it began, he groaned as he realized it was some sort of romantic-drama. She lay curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, and a popcorn bucket on the coffee table before them. Half-way through the boring drama, he heard her breathing shallow. Before he could say anything, her head fell onto his shoulder. He stiffened, glancing at her. Her eyes were shut, her sleeping form illuminated by the dancing light of the TV. His lips tugged up slightly at the sight. He reached over and pulled the blanket over her, wrapping his arm around her. She unconsciously leaned into the gesture. He frowned suddenly at the warm feeling in his chest. Oh God, he thought. I've gone and developed feelings for her.

She woke up, sunlight seeping in through the windows of her living room. Her body was enveloped with warmth, something wrapped around her firmly. She opened her eyes, fluttering them slowly. Somebody's chest was moving up and down from underneath her. She realized she was lying on top of Discord, her head on his chest. She sat up gently, glancing at him. She definitely didn't remember falling asleep in that position. Her eyes darted up to where her mother was standing, observing them.

"U-uh sorry. We must've fallen asleep during our movie last night." She explained, slipping off of him.

"Are you two interested in each other?" Her mother asked plainly, not one to beat around the bush.

"U-um." She stuttered, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"He seems interested in you," She remarked, a smirk on her face. She began to clean up the mess they made. Shy gave her a small smile and helped, grabbing the two mugs she and Discord used to make cocoa.

"I don't think so." She murmured. Face it, she thought. He's only interested in one thing. It's been that way from the start. She glanced at him again, watching the rise and fall of his chest ever so slowly. But what if? She sighed, her eyes darting away. Oh Shy, you really are a fool sometimes.

"Hey, Shy." A voice greeted in the school's gym. Shy and her friends were helping decorate for the upcoming fall formal.

"Hi Mac." She smiled warmly at him as she helped paint a banner.

"I was wonderin' if I could ask you somethin'." His eyes darted around nervously.

"Sure," She smiled. "But are you okay?" She furrowed her brow. She didn't really know Mac, he was just Jackie's older brother who occasionally drove them places when they were too young to drive. It had been a long time since she'd spoken to him.

"Yup." He nodded. "I wanted to ask you...if you'd go to the fall formal with me." He smiled, holding up a Spring Starflower, her favorite flower. She gasped lightly, holding her hand up to her mouth. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Why would he want to go with me? "You don't have ta answer right now," He said, looking a little flushed. "But think about it." He gave her smile, handed her the flower and walked off. She stood there for a long time, puzzled.

"Ah knew it." Jackie's voice disrupted her thoughts. "Ah knew he had a thing for you. Ah thought it was strange when he asked me your favorite flower. Guess now ah know why."

"It's just so strange." She looked at her friends. "I've never even had more than a conversation with him."

"Well darling, what are you going to say?" Rarity asked, hoping she'd say yes. She highly doubted Discord would be better for her kind hearted friend than big Mac, a guy they'd all practically known since childhood.

"Well..." Shy gulped, not wanting to hurt Mac's feelings, but not particularly wanting to go with him. She knew it was silly, but there was someone else she was hoping would ask her.

"Is this about that Dipcord guy?" Dash muttered. Shy glanced at the ground. "Come on Shy, you know he's not good enough for you. He's just trouble waiting to happen." All of her friends seemed to nod in agreement. Shy furrowed her brows, looking up at her friends. How could they think that? They hadn't gotten to know him like she had.

"You know what I think? None of you are giving him a chance! Sure, he's not perfect, but who is?" They stared at her for a moment, shocked at their usually timid friend. Before any of them could reply, she set down her paintbrush and ran off.

"Woah- hey!" Mac called as she bumped into him in the hall. She glanced up, not realizing who she hit.

"Oh- sorry."

"It's alright."

"Mac, it was really sweet of you to ask...b-"

"But you're going with someone else."

"Well, no not exactly..."

"You just don't want to go with me?"

"It's not that! I-I mean...I was waiting for someone to ask me but..he hasn't yet." She sighed, her eyes glued to the ground. With the dance so close, she really had expected him to. She didn't know if they were a couple or if they just liked each other or if he was even interested in something other than her body, but she genuinely expected him to.

"It sounds like this guy doesn't see what he's missing. I promise we'll have a good time if you say yes." She smiled at him. He was a good guy. And maybe she was hoping Discord would be a teensy bit jealous.

"Well...alright." He grinned at her, and she smiled timidly in return.

"What's that?" He murmered, entering the kitchen. She had the flower big Mac had given her in a vase. Even if it didn't really mean anything to her, it was still her favorite flower.

"It's a Spring Star-flower!" She answered enthusiastically. "Did you know that they're native to places like Peru and Argen-"

"I know what it is, I meant who gave it to you?" She gave him a puzzled expression. She wanted him to be jealous but didn't actually think he would be. Jealousy just didn't fit with his laid back manner.

"A guy at school asked me to the Fall Formal." She answered, pouring water into the vase and avoiding his squinted gaze.

"How sweet." He spit.

"What's your problem?" She set down the vase to look at him. She took back her hopes before, he had no right to be jealous.

"Me? I don't have a problem. Not at all." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes you do!" She argued. "You're jealous."

"What! That's preposterous!" He bellowed.

"Is it?" she hissed. His eyes darted to the side. Shoot.

"Well forgive me, Shutterfly if I assumed we had our own little thing going on." He said, folding his arms.

"Our own little thing?" She raised her eyebrows. "You're not my boyfriend, i'm allowed to go to a dance with anybody I want."

"Am I not someone you want? Am I not good enough?" He didn't mean to show his jealousy, he just couldn't help it. The thought of her in some other guy's arms, giggling the way she does. It infuriated him, as if his whole body was on fire.

"Of course you are," She hissed. "He just so happened to ask me before you, and I accepted!" She stormed off to her room, shaken up by their banter. She heard his door slam moments after she left the kitchen. Who does he think he is? Maybe if he'd stop being so immature and admit he has actual feelings for me, this wouldn't be an issue.

Who does she think she is? He thought angrily, unfolding all of his laundry and scattering clothes around his room. Obviously we're a thing together, and she just goes and accepts another guy's 'dance proposal?' How banal. I don't even want to go to the dance anyway. It's not as if any of this even mattered. He growled in frustration, and decided to take a walk. And who is this guy anyway? He thought as he stalked outside into the chilly fall air. The sun began to set and his anger grew tedious. He suddenly realized in all his virulent thoughts, he'd gotten lost. The noise of someone stumbling came from an array of bushes behind him. He whipped around, seeing no-one. Discord was not the type of person to be frightened- by anything. He lowered his gaze, his lips turning up.

"Who's there?" He said lowly, his voice daring. A sinister chuckle came from the shadows, and from the bushes emerged a dark figure in a cloak. Discord furrowed his brow at the laughing figure.

"Discord..." Came a familiar voice. "You don't remember me?" The figure pulled down his cloak.

"T-Tirek?" Discord sputtered, a smile growing on his face. "You old thing, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"The boys and I were wondering where you disappeared to." Tirek chided.

"Yes well, you see..." Discord paused. "How did you find me?"

"Sombra has his ways."

"Sombra knows where I am?" Discord gulped. It wasn't permitted for any of the members of Sombra's gang to leave without his permission.

"I'm going to make this concise for you, Discord," Tirek began. "We understand that the terms of your agreement with your parents are quite simple. You learn to be a good, wholesome puritan, and you can return in December, two months from now."

"Yes," Discord admitted. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You will be returning to us in December, renegade. Sombra is not happy with your actions."

"Well it wasn't as if I had a choice!" Discord spit. "What makes you think I want to return?" Tirek raised his eyebrows at the question. Discord's loyalty had always been impregnable.

"I should have known you would want to wreak chaos all by yourself." Tirek growled. Discord gave him a disgruntled look.

"I'm not doing this for me. You think i'd really stay here on my own? I'm doing this for Shy."

"Shy? You're not saying you're involved with someone?"

"Surprise," He grinned.

"I am surprised that someone with your intellect does not see that this 'involvement' is but a new form of imprisonment. Clearly you had to abandon your true nature to stay in her good graces." Discord frowned.

"I have done nothing of the sort."

"Oh please, I've seen this before. But he was always weak minded. You are Discord, you are a legend. You can't fall into the same trap that claimed my brother. Come back with me and be rewarded with something far greater than love." He said the word with bitter disgust. "Freedom."

"No," Discord growled. "If you excuse me, I need to be finding my way back, now." He pushed passed his old friend, who growled in anger.

"You have three days to abide by Sombra's orders!" Tirek called. "Or somebody gets hurt!"

Author's Note

Sorry I didn't upload this yesterday, I was pretty busy and by the time I got into bed I just fell asleep. I really like this chapter and I hope you guys do too :)